Paradise
by xXSakura-Hime-SamaXx
Summary: He may be a supposedly dead missing-nin but he was raised a gentlemen, helping the crying pink haired girl was just proof of that...too bad he got attached to her smile afterwards. -Starts during the wave arc-
1. Chapter 1

**I'm going to give this fic my all until it's complete!**

**I don't own Naruto.**

**This begins during the wave arc, I thought I would try something different so please give it a read~ I'm aiming for 2000+ words a chapter and no less!**

**UPDATED: 3/09/13 **

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><p><strong>Sakura's P.O.V.<strong>

"Please move." Sakura said, pushing past yet another group of ragged looking villagers begging for money and food. She did her best to ignore their pleading stares and the pity she felt for their circumstances while she picked up speed. Tears prickled the corners of her eyes again as she attempted to put as much distance as possible between herself and her team.

'Why did they react like that? We're meant to be a team!'

**W-w-w-w Flashback w-w-w-w**

"_Well it looks like the girl of the team has the best chakra control. Maybe the "great" Uchiha clan isn't so great after all hmmm?" Kakashi said to his students from his vantage point_ _above the two boys while Sakura gazed at him questionably. "It also looks like she has a better chance of becoming Hokage than any other genin here, right Naruto?"_

_As soon as those comments left her sensei's mouth all Sakura could do was watch in shock as her teammates turned their glares towards her before charging at their respective trees._

_Getting her sensei's attention__,__ Sakura requested that she be done for the day and headed towards the village before he could see the tears welling up in her eyes._

**W-w-w-w End Flashback-w-w-w-w**

'I know that Kakashi was just trying to motivate them but, they turned on me so fast! Just a few petty words and I feel like I have to watch out for kunai being aimed at my head. That's the first time I've really seen them angry with me...' Sakura made her way out of the village and headed towards the misty beach she knew was just around a cluster of trees, hoping for some time alone to think of a way to make up with Sasuke-kun.

'Kakashi! He knew that would happen... come to think of it he didn't even congratulate me on getting it right. He's always so focused on Sasuke-kun and Naruto that he never even pays attention to me.' Coming to this realisation, her pent up tears spilled over and began to freely fall down her cheeks as she let herself drop to a sitting position in the sand. Drawing her knees to her chest, she rested her head on her crossed arms and cried.

"Sasuke-kun, Naruto." she mumbled to herself, for the first time thinking about her teammates in a non-fan girlish way.

'Sasuke-kun is the last Uchiha as well as the number one rookie of our year and Naruto... he may act like a dobe but he's a real power house. I mean, all those missions and the spars him and Sasuke always get into, he's so strong. It's fair to say that I come out last on our team. I'm not as strong as them, all I have is my knowledge and that won't get me very far as a ninja. It's Kakashi's job to help me though, how many times have I asked to join in on spars and jutsu training! It's always "You don't have enough chakra for this kind of thing yet." or "You should just observe for a while."!' she admitted to herself, her expression hardening for a few seconds before crumbling again. 'No, I can't pin this on Kakashi, it's my own fault. I'm not strong enough to keep up with them, my chakra reserves are nowhere as big as theirs, and I'm physically weak compared to most of the other ninja that graduated this year.'

So focused on her thoughts, she didn't even notice that the large chakra signature that had been hiding in the nearby trees suddenly appeared a few feet in front of her.

**Madara's P.O.V.**

It was shocking to see a weeping pink haired girl race past his hiding spot- completely oblivious to his unsuppressed chakra signature - and collapse into the sand. Now he may be a supposedly dead s-class nuke-nin but he was raised as a gentleman and gentlemen don't leave females that are in a state of obvious distress alone.

"Well, I never could stand seeing a girl cry." he whispered to himself before putting his mask securely in place and appearing a few feet from her. 'Let's get this show on the road.'

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

"AHHHHHHHHH!" was exclaimed a few feet in front of her followed by a loud thump. Sakura's head snapped up as she clumsily reached for her kunai holster only to freeze at the sight of the whimpering man kneeling on the ground clutching his right hand to his chest.

He was clothed in a black, long sleeved shirt, black gloves, and long dark blue pants with white bandages wrapped around the bottom, covering the top of his dark blue open toed shoes, a long dark green scarf covered his neck. He had spiky, long black hair that looked like it reached just below mid back; the most shocking thing though in Sakura's opinion was the bright orange lollipop like mask with only one eye hole.

'What the hell?' Sakura thought before snapping out of her daze and wiping her face clean of tears. Leaning a bit closer to the man and seeing the tear in the fabric of his glove, Sakura carefully crawled to his side, keeping a wary eye on him for any sudden movements, before gently reaching out and offering her hand to him awkwardly.

"Um, ex-excuse me, do you need some help? I have bandages and first aid supplies with me if you do." She offered, wincing as her voice cracked and keeping an eye on the man as he lifted his head to look at her while gingerly resting his injured hand in hers.

**Madara's P.O.V.**

Observing her closely, Madara couldn't help but think that he'd seen her somewhere before. Pink hair and green eyes weren't common, but he dismissed the thought as he watched her take a bandage out from her back pouch and begin wrapping his hand after removing the torn glove covering it.

"It's only a small cut but you might want to avoid moving it too much for the next day or so, just in case." She advised him while releasing his now bandaged hand and looking uncomfortably at his masked face. "How did you do that anyway?" she questioned, gesturing to his hand, this causing a smirk to come to his face as he reached over suddenly and glomped the pinkette, knocking her over.

"Well Tobi saw pretty girl rush over here crying so he just had to cheer her up! But Tobi tripped, he does that a lot, but Tobi thinks pretty girls like you shouldn't cry. What's pretty girl's name anyway? Tobi's name is Tobi!" he announced in a rush before dislodging himself and settling down next to her.

He could tell he had shocked her. The way her eyes widened, a blush blooming on her face, and how her chakra spiked was almost enough to make him snicker. He loved the shocked reactions 'Tobi' got.

"Uh, my name is Sakura, Haruno Sakura. It's nice to meet you Tobi." she said while sitting up, her eyes taking on a confused glint as he gave her another glomp, this time however, she was able to stay upright.

"Oooohhhh~ you're so _cute_ Cherry-chan! Tobi wants to know why you were crying! Was someone mean to Cherry-chan? Don't worry, Tobi will give them what for!" he yelled the last part jumping to his feet and punching the air above himself a few times, mentally sweat dropping at himself. Watching her giggle a few times he smirked again, eyeing her headband with obvious distaste while waiting for her to reply.

"It's ok Tobi, I wouldn't want to burden you with my troubles-"was all she got out before he interrupted her.

"Tobi thinks that talking to others is the best way to sort our troubles out-" he internally winced at the bad taste that comment left in his mouth "and talking to complete strangers is the best way to get advice!" he stated while sitting down again and resting his head on his folded hands, facing her direction. "Go ahead Cherry-chan, tell Tobi what's wrong."

"Well... I suppose so..."she relented and began. "Me and my te-_friends_ were doing an exercise our sen-_older friend_ gave us, climbing a tree without using our hands- we had to use chakra instead- and I made it to the top on my first try but when they didn't, our older friend tried to egg them on by saying a bunch of stuff. They turned on me after just a few words, Tobi; two or three sentences and it looked like they wanted to kill me! What kinds of te-friends do that! And our older friend didn't even give me any encouragement, I'm always forgotten in these types of things, I'm not strong enough to be recognized by any of them." she finished in a whisper, tears forming again.

'Ahh, so it's problems with her team then. Hmm, she must have powerful teammates and she gets ignored, Konoha always seems to have problems like this. If she did do the tree climbing exercise on her first try then she must have extraordinary chakra control and a vast potential, her sensei must be a fuckwit to miss it.' he thought to himself, rubbing an imaginary beard on his masked face and garnering a few watery giggles from the pinkette.

His eyes widened as it hit him. '_That's_ why she seemed so familiar! How could I forget something like that, kami, why didn't I recognise her sooner?'

**W-w-w-w ****F****lashback w-w-w-w**

"_So these are the Kyuubi brat's teammates?" Madara mumbled, more to himself than to the other two people in the room, while eyeing the pictures lay out in front of him._

"_Yes Madara-sama. Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, and Haruno Sakura will all be on Team Seven, lead by one Hatake, Kakashi. __**I can't wait to take a bite out' a pinkie!"**__ said the bi-coloured man licking his lips._

"_That's enough Zetsu, you're dismissed."_

**W-w-w-w End ****F****lashback w-w-w-w**

"Tobi thinks your sensei should go fuck himself. Your teammates should do the same." He finally said, shocking the girl next to him.

"B-but-"he cut her off before she could even get started.

"Tobi was a ninja too but he quit. Cherry-chan doesn't have to hide anything from Tobi, ok? Tobi is just here to help!" he said, giving her a thumbs up.

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

Warily watching the man that was now known to have been a ninja, Sakura couldn't help but feel stupid for not noticing his chakra earlier.

'I really am weak aren't I? Sasuke-kun would have noticed that right away, hell, Naruto probably would have too!' Continuing to mentally berate herself, she didn't notice him moving until Tobi wrapped his arms around her and started petting her hair.

"It's ok Cherry-chan. Tobi's here and he'll make it all better." He whispered to her childishly and continued patting her long hair. "Tobi wants to know what your teammates are like Cherry-chan! So he'll know who to beat up for hurting his new best friend's feelings!" was stated accompanied by a squeeze.

"Well...ok...um..." she looked at him slightly from the corner of her eye 'why did his voice just get a little deeper?' "Sasuke-kun is the last Uchiha" she could have sworn she heard him smother a chuckle "he was also top rookie of our year. He's really strong and wants to kill his older brother for murdering their clan." there it was again "Naruto is a baka. He loves ramen and never shuts up but he's also really strong from what I can tell. Kakashi-sensei is a pervert but he's funny too sometimes." She looked over to see him rubbing an imaginary beard again.

"Tobi will tell Cherry-chan a bit about himself so she doesn't feel so wary of him anymore!" He said. She was not surprised that he noticed, he had said he used to be a ninja after all, but she was at the fact that he was trying to calm her down and comfort her.

"Hmmm, Tobi is really tall, he likes dango a LOT. Tobi always keeps his mask on. Tobi quit being a ninja after he had a fight with his teammate." Why did he sound so smug while saying that? "Tobi is around 20 he thinks, he REALLY likes dango, dango dango dango~ and Cherry-chan is Tobi's only friend now, he's all alone." He finished on a disheartened note.

**Madara's P.O.V.**

"Tobi, I think you're my only friend too." She whispered to him quietly before looking up at the sky.

"Really Cherry-chan, why is Tobi your only friend? Cherry seems like she would be very popular~"

"That will have to wait until we run into each other some other time Tobi; I need to get back to my team, it's getting late." She stated sadly, tucking a piece of pink hair behind her ear and standing up. "I hope I see you again Tobi, I really do."

"It's ok Cherry-chan; Tobi will be here for a few more days! We might just run into each other again! Tobi sure hopes so~" he sang, waving goodbye as she turned and left "Tobi is glad he could cheer you up Cherry!" he called after her, watching her still for a second before she giggled and skipped away, lost in thought.

Leaning back on his arms Madara sighed, the slight tilt to his lips that was usually brought on by death and Konoha related destruction widened a fraction more as he spotted a pink wallet on the ground. Reaching over and picking it up with his bandaged hand, he couldn't help the evil little chuckle that escaped his lips.

'You have a lot of unrealized potential girl. It looks like we WILL be meeting again in the next few days.'

'Tobi' just can't wait.'

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><p><strong>First chapter done! Gosh this is fun to write~<strong>

**Please leave a review****,****I**** would really appreciate it~, no flames or just telling me everything you ****think**** is wrong with this fic.**

**Sakura-hime-sama**


	2. Chapter 2

**I want to give a HUGE thank you to all those who reviewed, fav'ed, or alerted this fic! I really didn't expect that many so fast! So I sat down at 11pm and wrote this for all of you! It's now 5:44am and it's going up right now!**

**Reviewers:**

**greenYoshi77:** Thank you so much~ It was a pleasure to read your review. It had me smiling like a loon for a good hour!

**Lurker:** Wow, just ...wow O.o I've never gotten a review that long in my life! Your review inspired me to get this up so soon, thank you!

**2008roseelixir:** ... Tobi-sensei...XD just thinking about it has me giggling, hehe!

**mystereKitsune:** Just XD thank you.

**TeenageCrisis:** I love madasaku too...kinda why I'm writing this haha! This is actually my first time writing Madara/Tobi so I hope you enjoy it!

**Angel1897:** You get smiles for your review!

**():** Here ya go!

**Goddesslyndseylove:** Thank you so much~

**I don't own Naruto.**

**More reviews= motivated Anna= all night typing= chapter for you~**

****UPDATED: 3/09/13 ** **

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><p><strong>Sakura's P.O.V.<strong>

tap tap tap tap

Groaning loudly, Sakura rolled over on her bed and tried to get back to sleep.

**Tap tap tap tap**

Ignoring the noise, she buried her head further under her pillow and closed her eyes tighter.

_**BANG BANG BANG BANG**_

Shooting up and out of bed she stared at the door in shock from her spot on the floor as it slowly opened to reveal Inari's mother, Tsunami, standing there looking like an angel, as though she hadn't just been kicking at the door like a mad woman. She was such a kind, peaceful looking person; it was hard to grasp how demonic she could act sometimes.

"Oh Sakura-chan, you're up already! That's wonderful! I need a little help with breakfast now that there are so many people staying here~" she sang out pleasantly, handing Sakura her washed clothes and turning, leaving the room. "I'll wait for you in the living room by the stairs. Be down soon~" with that she was gone, leaving a twitching Sakura in the slowly brightening room all by herself.

'It's 6:00 A.M! Why on earth do we need to be up this early to make _breakfast_?' she questioned herself, eye twitching slightly. 'I'm so glad I went to bed early last night.' she thought, gazing at her bandaged hands.

**W-w-w-w ****Flashback**** w-w-w-w**

_She had just gotten back to the bridge builder's home when the doors were suddenly thrown open by an irritated Inari. It wasn't hard to guess that he had tried to get his mother to make them leave and never come back again; he had been trying that a lot for the few days they had been there._

'_He just doesn't give up does he?'_

_Noticing her looking at him, he scowled, ran up, and pushed her over before running off. Not expecting the action, Sakura couldn't stop her fall and landed palms first onto an empty flower pot, shattering it. After countless apologies and bandaging the pinkette's cut hands, Tsunami went off to find Inari, leaving Sakura to come to the realisation that Sasuke and Naruto __were__ still out, probably training while Kakashi was asleep (more like passed out) upstairs._

_Sighing to herself, she made her way to the bathroom, planning nothing more than to have a hot, relaxing bath and go to bed._

'_I wish I could have spent more time with Tobi, he was so funny. Hehe, I bet he would have actually told Kakashi-sensei to go eff himself!' Sakura thought, smiling to herself and running the bath._

**W-w-w-w End ****F****lashback w-w-w-w**

Ok, she would admit she was wrong, it had taken until 9:00 A.M. to finish preparing breakfast. She just didn't know why Tsunami put so much effort into a meal that would be over in a flash! Her train of thought was interrupted by the front door slamming open as Naruto and Sasuke both tried to fit through the doorway at the same time. She did find it rather humorous to watch them tussle on the ground trying to reach the table first though.

She did _not_ however, find it funny that they were rapidly shovelling the perfectly made food she and Tsunami had spent hours preparing, down their throats without even chewing! They were stupidly trying to out eat each other. And then, after gorging, they would vomit and start eating again! It was disgusting! And it was also wasting the time and effort that was put into the food. They were disrespecting their hosts and Kakashi was doing absolutely nothing about it, he was just sitting back laughing. Deciding to leave them be, Sakura stood up from the table and went to get herself ready for the day, shooting the boys a dirty look as she passed them.

'Who would have thought my Sasuke-kun could act like this?' she thought, ignoring the questioning looks her team was giving her.

**Team Seven's P.O.V.**

'Hey, why did Sakura-chan look so mad?'

'Hn, annoying.'

'Oh kami, please don't tell me she's old enough to get 'that time of the month'! *Cue extensive sweating* I can't handle this! Maybe if I just have her watch Tazuna today the boys and I will live to see next week.'

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

''_You can watch over the bridge builder Sakura_" he says "_just take today off and rest"_. Why can't I go training with my team? Did they finally have enough of me? Are they leaving me so I'll finally quit being a bother and leave them all alone? How could they!' tears sprung to her eyes for the fifth time that day as she sat on an old beam a little ways away from where Tazuna was working. 'Why am I such a cry baby?' she silently berated herself, looking up at the darkening sky. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a tissue and dabbed at the corners of her eyes.

'Wait! Why didn't I feel...' eyes widening she ripped open her bag and dumped everything out next to her. 'My wallet, it- it's gone!' panicking she shoved everything back in and ran over to Tazuna, looking like she was going to burst into tears again at any moment.

"I-I have to go. I think I dropped my wallet somewhere around town so I need to go look for it!" she said in a rush, spinning around and racing off.

"Good luck findin' it around here girly! Someone's probably already spent all ya' cash and pawned off the wallet! Ya' wastin' ya' time!" he called after her, watching her increase her speed and peer around frantically. 'Poor kid'.

**Madara's P.O.V.**

'So that's the Kyuubi brat hmm, what an unworthy waste of space' he observed, watching the scene in front of him. The two boys were still trying to grasp the control needed to climb their trees but were getting higher slowly but surely. 'I could just snatch him now and be done with it...no, the timing isn't quite right yet.'

Turning away from the team, Madara walked off, heading deeper into the surrounding forest with a frown on his face. Adjusting his mask, he turned, facing a tree just in time to see a bi-coloured man faze out of it partially.

"What is it you want now Zetsu? I specifically told you that I didn't want to be disturbed." he hissed out, sharingan spinning slowly.

"Pein-sama requests that you come back to Amegakure,** some shit about discussing plans."** he stated, keeping a straight face. It was easy for Madara to tell he was nervous though. Frown deepening at the thought of going back to the dreary place, he mockingly replied,

"Well then, you'll have to tell '_Pein-sama'_ that I refuse. I shall return when I deem fit. Until then I don't want to see or hear from you or him. You're dismissed."

"Hai Madara-**sama**." the plant man replied, fazing back into the tree reluctantly.

'The fool, can he not do anything for himself?' he thought, referring to Pein. 'That twit is not deserving of the rinnegan.' Making his way back towards the village, Madara sighed lowly to himself.

The reason he had refused to return was simple.

_He was bored._

The Uchiha Madara had gotten bored.

All of the repetitive discussions and planning had gotten him stir crazy, being in the same place all the time didn't help either. Not wanting to rush his plans, just to keep himself entertained; he left to find something to occupy himself, and that was turning out to be harder than he had originally thought. But stumbling (not that the great Uchiha Madara stumbles) upon the Konoha team was a rather interesting turn of events, one that he was not completely against letting play out. In fact, realizing the pink haired girl from the day before was on the Kyuubi's team had him plotting well into the night.

'Yes,' he thought 'this might just be entertaining after all."

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

Having given up the search for her wallet earlier that evening, the pink haired girl had returned home. A depressing shadow seemed to follow after her wherever she went in the house. After getting Tsunami to help her clean and bandage her hands again she decided to settle in for the night and just relax for a while, choosing not to question the slightly apprehensive looks Kakashi was shooting her whenever they came within a 3 foot radius of each other.

She didn't really want to admit it but half the time she was looking for her wallet she had really spent trying to spot the orange mask wearing man named Tobi she had met the day before. It seemed silly, and she knew there was very little chance they would ever see each other again, but she couldn't help but to glance hopefully around every corner she passed.

She gave up a little while after her third visit to the area of beach where they had met. She knew she shouldn't get so attached to him, he was basically a stranger, it couldn't be helped though. The mystery he presented and the way he had cheered her up had instantly drawn her attention. He was new, interesting to her. He may get all up in her face and was a little rude but she was on a team with _NARUTO_ so she was used to it and didn't even notice until he started swearing. THAT she wasn't used to.

'How sad am I' she thought to herself, relaxing and starting on her dinner, watching the boys go at it again from across the table. 'Growing attached to a complete stranger and then deeming him a friend, someone I'll likely never see again. It's true though, that _stranger_ is the closest thing I've had to a friend since I was 10 or so.'

"Uhhh..." was the first thing out of her mouth when she noticed Tazuna had been speaking to her for the past few minutes and she hadn't been listening in the slightest. She thanked kami that he didn't notice her distracted state.

Trying to refocus Tazuna's attention on something else, Sakura gazed at the picture hanging on the wall across from her and questioned Tsunami about it. 'I would have kept my mouth shut if I'd had any idea as to how Inari would react.' she thought warily, watching him storm out after causing a huff.

After listening to the explanation she had a better understanding of why things were as they were here in wave. Watching Kakashi follow after Inari and the boys take off again she helped clean up the table and dry the dishes (as well as she could at the moment anyway due to her bandages). Deciding to go to bed, she bid her good nights and made her way upstairs.

**-W-w-w-w-**

Waking up quietly was a real treat for Sakura. No one kicking the door down, no Naruto cooing at her whilst uncomfortably close to her face, and no getting poked by crutches today, nope, no sir-ee! She had made sure to wake up extra early for just that reason. Getting dressed in her usual attire and brushing her long, silky pink hair she slowly made her way downstairs to the kitchen. Grabbing some leftovers from yesterday's breakfast, she sat down at the table and ate her fill, choosing to ignore the passed out Tazuna surrounded by sake bottles blocking the back door.

"Isn't he meant to be working today?" she mumbled, sweat dropping slightly.

Sighing happily to herself, she set the dirty dishes down gently in the sink and placed a note on the table.

_Dear whoever reads this first,_

_I'm going out training for the day so someone else will have to watch over Tazuna._

_I'll be back before it gets too dark. Have a nice day and see you later! : )_

_-Sakura Haruno_

Satisfied with herself, she quickly crept over Tazuna and exited the house out the back door, careful not to wake him, locking it silently behind her. Walking up the tree surrounded road that lead to the town at this hour of the morning was an intriguing experience for the young Haruno. Usually the road was busy and her dress was getting tugged this way and that by hungry little kids pleading for anything she would give them. The sun was just starting to rise in the sky and the animals were just waking. Taking in a deep breath of the misty sea air, Sakura continued onwards towards the town, humming happily to herself with a noticeable skip in her step.

As the trees began to thin, Sakura could make out the town up ahead. It still looked the same (worn out, dirty, in need of repair) but there were only four or five people out opening up their shops. Passing through the small village, Sakura made her way to the now familiar beach and began stretching.

"Cherry-chan! What are you doing out alone this early in the morning? Tobi is so glad he got to meet you again! He missed you soooooo much! WHAT HAPPENED TO CHERRY-CHAN'S HANDS!"

Turning around, startled at the sudden shouting, a smile lit up her face at the sight that greeted her eyes.

'_Tobi_'

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><p><strong>Well I hope you liked this chapter! I was up all night writing it just for you guys~<strong>

**Please leave a review, no flames or just telling me what you think is wrong with this **_**fan fiction**_**!**

**I'm thinking of a number and if this story gets that many reviews then I'll update before Monday~**

**Again please leave a review! At 8 reviews I was so motivated I wrote this straight away!**


	3. Chapter 3

**HOPE YOU LIKE THE NEW CHAPTER! Dedicated to all those who reviewed~**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. **

****UPDATED: 3/09/13 ****

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><p><strong>Madara's P.O.V.<strong>

Spotting the pinkette making her way towards the beach, Madara decided that it would provide him with some entertainment if he were to follow after her. Keeping hidden, with his chakra masked as a precaution, he did just that. Eyeing the bandages on her hands curiously, he chuckled slightly, 'I don't see you for one day and you're already banged up hmm? '

Trailing behind her, he watched as she skipped her way over to the sand, found a flat spot and started stretching. 'It's obvious they don't train Konoha ninja to the same standard as they used to.' was his thought when she didn't notice him briefly un-mask his chakra. 'Looks like it's time for 'Tobi' to come out and play again.' Making sure that everything on him was as it should be when around her, he started to jog over towards her from his hiding place.

"Cherry-chan! What are you doing out alone this early in the morning? Tobi is so glad he got to meet you again! He missed you soooooo much! WHAT HAPPENED TO CHERRY-CHAN'S HANDS?!"

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

'Tobi' she thought with a smile, watching him approach. He looked exactly the same as he had the day before last. As he came closer she noticed that he must have replaced the ruined glove on his right hand because it looked brand new. There were no stiches in the fabric where the tear was or anything to suggest that it had ever even been torn. Her smile quickly changed to a panicked expression though as she dived to the side just in time to avoid being squashed by his running glomp. She couldn't help but feel bad afterwards though, watching him pull himself out of the sand.

"Cherry-chaaaaan~ why did you do that? Tobi was just happy to see you again!" he whined over to her. Dusting himself off, he began popping his back into place, making Sakura cringe away from his direction. "Now, tell Tobi what happened to your hands Cherry-chan." It wasn't a question, but looking at his masked face she couldn't find it in herself to be angry at the childish man for practically ordering her to answer him.

"My team's here on a mission and our clients grandson doesn't like us very much. It's ok though. He's very young so he doesn't know better." she said nervously as he grabbed her hands, inspecting them. "OW!" Feeling him loosen his harsh grip, she blushed lightly, watching as he pressed them to where his lips would be behind his mask, then slowly released them from his grasp.

"What's Cherry-chan doing out alone this early? If she wants to be alone Tobi can just go..." Dear kami, he sounded like someone had just killed his puppy and told him he could still keep it. Tears forming in her eyes, Sakura moved forward and hugged him. '_Awwwww..._'

"It's ok Tobi, I was just planning on training for a little while away from my team." was said as she released him and took a step back. "You can stay if you want to." Watching him perk back up again almost gave her whiplash.

" Oooooo~ Cherry-chan is training? What's she going to be doing?" as that question was asked, Sakura drew a blank. '...I came here to train...and I have no idea what to actually do...'

It must have been written all over her face because the next thing she heard was muffled laughter. "...C-Cherry-chan doesn't know what to do, does she?"

"I might not know many proper training methods but I can come up with my own!" she declared, turning away from him whilst crossing her arms and huffing in anger. 'Why did I want to see him again?' she thought angrily.

"Hey, it's ok Cherry-chan! Tobi knows a few things that will help you out!"

**Madara's P.O.V.**

Watching her slowly turn to face him, hopeful expression beginning to form, he knew she had taken the bait. 'You would think that they would teach their genin not to be so trusting of strange ninja that could easily be enemies.' He thought to himself. Inwardly he was sweat dropping but outwardly he was embracing his Tobi persona, grabbing one of her hands and gently leading her to the water.

"T-thank you so much Tobi!" she cheered, looking at him expectantly, causing him to smirk. 'Too easy'

"Tobi remembers Cherry-chan telling him about getting tree climbing right on her first try, so Tobi thinks she should try water walking!" he cheered out in glee. "Also, this way Cherry won't hurt her hands anymore! Tobi doesn't want Cherry-chan hurt!" Nodding to himself, he got her attention and stepped out onto the water with practiced ease, walking a few feet out to show her what to do. "It's just like walking up a tree, only Cherry will have to keep the chakra in her feet moving and changing when the water does. If she doesn't then Cherry's going to get wet~ ok?"

He walked back to her side and watched her eye the water, deep in thought. Feeling her gather chakra to the bottom of her feet, he would admit that he was a little shocked when she got it down on her first try. Only a little bit though, he was Madara Uchiha after all and he did have a reputation to uphold to. As she walked out a bit further, she let out a cheer and began stepping slowly from foot to foot, testing her control.

"I-I did it Tobi! I did it! This is so much fun!" she shouted to him in glee from her spot about ten meters out.

"Yay! Tobi's so happy for Cherry-chan! But... the real fun is just starting! Tobi wants to make sure you really have it down pat, so now Cherry has to stay above the water while Tobi tries to distract her, ok? It'll also help Cherry's chakra reserves! Which are so pitifully low I almost thought you were a civilian" muttering the last part to himself, he reached down, scooped up a handful of wet sand, eyed it slightly, and then slung it at her. Watching her squeal and lose concentration, he snickered to himself, this was going to be fun, for him anyway.

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><p>They had continued on that way for the next few hours, him slightly impressed at how fast she grasped the control needed for the exercise and how she was able to stretch her small reserves to last this long. Holes littered the sand around his sitting form as he hurled one last glob at Sakura's panting, mud covered form which, despite her best efforts to dodge, still smacked into her shoulder with a resounding 'Splat'. Growing bored with the action and feeling how little chakra she had left in her wavering form, he decided it was time to call her back in.<p>

"Ok Cherry-chan! That's enough for now, you did great! Tobi was so impressed when you got it right the first time!" seeing her begin to glow with pride at his statement, he smirked, 'interesting'. Washing his gloved hands in the water quickly, he appeared out next to her just in time to catch the unconscious girl before she hit the water.

"Heh, too much for you little blossom?" he lightly mocked whilst bringing her back to shore and laying her on the ground. Sitting down next to her, he pulled her forgotten pouch over from its place in the sand. Rummaging through it, he pulled out a mission scroll. Scanning it quickly, he memorized the details before putting it back and throwing her pouch back to its original place.

'A C-class escort mission huh? Well with the state their sensei is in, I'd say the brats got more than they bargained for. How did these untrained genin get a mission like this in the first place anyway? I'll have to get that information out of her later.' Turning his eyes to the girl lying next to him, he gently picked up a piece of her candy coloured hair and began fiddling with it.

'What self-respecting ninja would have hair this colour?' he had never seen a ninja with pink hair before. Red, green, and even pure white, yes, but never pink. After a few minutes of contemplating this, a stray thought crossed his mind 'It really does suit her.' shocked at thinking such a thing, he dropped the piece of hair he was messing with, and slid a little ways away from the girl.

After a few seconds of eyeing her like she was some type of poisonous snake, he gradually relaxed again and settled down to wait for her to wake up.

'Cherry blossom'

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

"Cherry~"

Face twitching a little, Sakura groaned.

"Cherry-chan~"

Wiggling her nose a little at not feeling her blankets, she flexed her hands, feeling the soreness that dully radiated through her body flare a bit.

"Cherry, you have to wake up now~ Tobi says it's almost 4 P.M!"

Opening her eyes, Sakura winced at the sun before blocking it with one of her hands while using the other to slowly push herself up into a sitting position, wincing again as her hand began aching. Looking beside her, she saw Tobi facing towards her. Feeling a little bit self-conscious about being seen like she was, she asked what happened.

"Cherry-chan overused her chakra and passed out; Tobi had to catch her before she fell in the water and drowned! Cherry should have told Tobi she was tired, he was so worried!" was said with a hug that would have squished her, had she not gasped out for air. After being released and crossing her legs to get in a more comfortable position, Sakura smiled at Tobi.

"I owe you Tobi, I really do. Thank you so much for teaching me how to do that, I don't think I would have gotten it down so fast without your help." She said, eyeing one of the mud stains on her clothing whilst saying the last part. Looking back over to him, she saw him reaching into his shirt and pulling something out.

"Well then, Cherry owes Tobi another favour as well then, for keeping this safe for her! Tobi had to lug it around for almost two whole days." he said before tossing it onto her lap. Looking down, she saw it was the wallet she had thought she would never see again. Without thinking, she launched her tired form at him, wallet falling to the sand in the process, and hugged him tightly, burying her face into his chest when she felt tears of gratitude form in her eyes.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou! Oh Tobi, thank you so much! I thought I would never see it again, I was so sad!" pulling back, she looked up at his orange mask before sitting down right next to him and letting him go but continuing to hug his arm. "I really do owe you for all this Tobi! I don't think I'll ever be able to say that enough!"

"Tobi is always happy to help his friend! Tobi would feel bad if he didn't give it back~" he chimed out, sounding as if he would burst from all the praise he had received.

"I will pay you back for this though Tobi, this wallet means a lot to me; it was Ino's last gift she gave to me before she stopped being my one and only friend." She finished on a slightly wistful note.

"Hey, Cherry? Tell Tobi about what happened with the Ino girl! Cherry-chan promised last time we were here!" Again ignoring that it wasn't a question, she relented.

"It's was nothing big really, she used to hang out with the people that picked on me a little as a kid. We eventually became friends after she stood up for me a few times. We got along great. But then she found out that we both liked the same boy –Sasuke-kun- and called our friendship off. We've been rivals ever since. We compete in everything now; from who looks the best to who can hold his attention for the longest. I know it sounds stupid but it seemed like such a big deal at the time. The thing that gets to me the most lately though is how different Sasuke-kun is from what he used to be, back when he first caught my attention..." she finished, sounding slightly disappointed.

Looking over at Tobi, she saw him looking up at the sky, obviously pondering what she said. When he finally looked back at her and started talking she swore she would never look at him the same again.

"Tobi understands Cherry. You were young and this Sasuke-kun sounds like he was always popular so of course you would start liking him. Did Cherry ever think that she only liked him because of that? Or that it was because some of the other girls liked him too, and she wanted to fit in? Or that you really did like him when he was younger, but only like him now because of your rivalry with that Ino girl? Tobi has seen that happen lots of times." Staring at him she could only reply,

"No! I love Sasuke-kun!"

"And why does Cherry love him, hmmm?"

"H-he's smart and strong and cool and cute and... and..."

"What about his personality? Tobi wonders if he's friendly to you. Does he treat Cherry nice? How much have you talked with him?"

"I-I..." she stuttered.

He continued on. "And this Ino girl, Tobi doesn't think he likes her too much. She doesn't sound very nice, calling off a friendship over a boy. If she used to be friends with people that bullied Cherry and only stood up for her a few times then Tobi wonders how many times she didn't. Was she there just watching or did she help those mean people out? Tobi doesn't like anyone who hurts his friends."

"...T-" she was cut off when he hugged her to his chest, patting her hair once more.

"But Cherry doesn't need to worry about any of that anymore! Cherry is Tobi's best and only friend now, just like when Cherry said Tobi was her only one! Tobi won't leave Cherry for a boy because Tobi likes girls not boys and will always help Cherry out like he did today. Tobi would never leave cherry, ok?"

All Sakura could do was nod, feeling completely overwhelmed with all that was just said but still feeling comforted by the last part.

**Madara's P.O.V.**

Feeling extremely satisfied with the seeds of doubt he had just planted in her mind, Madara continued patting Sakura's hair whilst smirking to himself.

"Tobi, what about when you leave this village though? Or when my team and I finish our mission? I'll never see you again and-" cutting her off before she started to over think what he had just told her, he replied. "It's ok Cherry, Tobi will think of something! Tobi could follow your team? Or- or-Tobi could kidnap your twit of a sensei and henge into him! Or Tobi co-" he cut himself off at the sound of her giggles. Noticing the grin she had on her face from how thick he was laying on his childish act, he began chuckling as well.

Feeling the approaching chakra, he decided to end things for the day.

"Tobi is glad that Cherry hasn't told her team about him." He said with an excited tinge to his voice.

"How did-"

"Because Tobi thinks your sensei wouldn't like it if you were friends with Tobi. He would have found Tobi and told him to stay away from you. Tobi is glad you didn't though, he likes hanging out with Cherry!"

When he released her, she turned away from him and faced the ocean. Taking his chance, he re-masked his chakra and disappeared into the nearby trees to watch the scene unfold. Spotting the Kyuubi brat turn the corner, he was slightly frustrated that he couldn't make out her reply to his statement.

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

"Why do-" she was cut off from replying by a familiar yell. Turning towards the noise she spotted Naruto running her way. Thinking of the conversation they were having, she turned to where Tobi was to warn him about her teammate only to find that he wasn't there anymore. Looking around frantically, she couldn't spot him anywhere along the beach.

"Sakura-chan! I've been looking for you everywhere! Kakashi-sensei sent me to bring you home for dinner! What are you doing here all alone? It looks boring!"

"...Shut up Naruto-baka ...I was meditating."

**Madara's P.O.V.**

Watching them turn and leave, Sakura was glancing around trying to see where he disappeared to. He grinned slightly and turned, walking away and trying his best to ignore the small twinge he felt at having the brat interrupt his conversation with the little cherry.

'So young, so naïve, so easily manipulated.'

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><p><strong>Thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter~<strong>

**Please leave a review~ no flames and no reviewing just to tell me what you think is wrong with this fanfic!**

**Sakura-hime-sama**


	4. Chapter 4

**...FIRST THING I'VE EVER WRITTEN TO REACH OVER 6000 LET ALONE 10,000!**

**YAY FOR ****ACCOMPLISHMENTS**

**Thank you to everyone who fav-ed or alerted this story and me~**

**A BIG thanks to everyone who REVIEWED!**

****UPDATED: 3/09/13 ****

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><p><strong>Sakura's P.O.V.<strong>

Becoming bored listening to Naruto babble on about how weird meditating sounded; she decided that a change of subject was in order; before she had to find a nice tree to bang her head on. "So, what time did you get home? I heard you go back out to train last night, it must have been really late!" Looking over at him, she watched as he responded with a grin.

"Hehe, I actually fell asleep where I was training. Kakashi said chakra exhaustion or something? I can't remember. I made a new friend though! He's so cool! Even though I did think he was a girl at first..." he trailed off slightly at the look Sakura was giving him. "W-What's the matter S-Sakura-chan?" was stuttered out as they came to a stop on the tree lined path.

"NARUTO! YOU PASSED OUT FROM CHAKRA EXAUSTION? WHAT WHERE YOU THINKING?" she shouted, watching him cower slightly. 'Good' she furiously thought, 'maybe now he'll be a bit more careful with things like that!'

"B-but S-Saku-" he was cut off by the irritated pinkette.

"No buts Naruto! You could have DIED! And you passed out in the middle of a forest; you could have gotten lost or attacked! How did you find your way back?" calming down a little with a few deep breaths, she ran a bandaged hand through her tussled hair. Now that the anger was out of her system, she looked up at the darkening sky and sighed. 'It's been a long day.' Thinking back to her own passing out episode on the beach, she winced minutely. 'I'm such a hypocrite.'

Glad that he was slightly used to his crushes mood swings, Naruto perked back up with only a slightly sheepish look left as evidence that he had just been yelled at. "Um, Kakashi found me around lunch and took me home. HEY, GUESS WHAT! I almost made it to the top! Kakashi says that I'm improving fast; Sasuke-teme's only just beating me, the stupid teme..." He finished, grumbling and pouting to himself.

Slightly shocked at the sudden feeling of jealousy welling up within her, she forced a smile. "That's great Naruto, you and Sasuke-kun are doing really well! You'll be better at it than me in no time." She strained out, the ignorant blond not noticing the glaze that came to her eyes. 'They'll be better than me in no time.' she bitterly realized, as they continued on their way.

She could tell that Naruto had no idea anything was wrong with her, but she didn't really expect him to. Focusing intently on the ground, she zoned out, ignoring Naruto as he continued to talk. 'Am I...jealous of NARUTO?' Sakura thought as a frustrated look came over her face. 'I am, aren't I? I'm jealous of Naruto-baka getting praise from sensei and not me.'

Shaken out of her contemplative state by Naruto's loud cheer, she realized they had arrived back at the bridge builders' house. She followed close behind as Naruto barged in and headed straight for the table.

"WE'RE BACK! I FOUND SAKURA-CHAN! Is dinner ready yet? I'm hungry!" Growling slightly, she hit his head, sending him straight to the ground with a yell.

"NARUTO! It's rude to barge into someone else's house and demand food! You could be a bit more courteous!" huffing; she walked into the kitchen, ignoring the disapproving look she got from Kakashi and the groan from Naruto.

"Ah Sakura-chan, your back! Could you please help me bring the food to the table? Thank you dear!" Tsunami greeted and thanked as she received a smile and nod. Grabbing a large bowl of rice, Sakura left the kitchen and set the table, still mindful of her hands. Afterwards she took her seat across from Kakashi as Inari sat down the last plate.

Sitting silently as she watched her team mates arguing, she finished her food whilst trying to ignore the growing feeling of jealousy that bubbled in her stomach and the clenching feeling in her chest. 'What's wrong with me?'

"Sakura," Looking up suddenly, she was startled and a bit confused that Kakashi had used such a serious tone "we need to have a talk after dinner."

**Madara's P.O.V.**

Watching the fox brat and the little cherry turn a corner and disappear from his sight, Madara released a sigh, absentmindedly rubbing his chest whilst ignoring his strange reaction.

'What to do now?' he thought while gazing out at the ocean clouded by mist.

Deciding that it was in his best interest to get dinner and just relax at an inn for the night, he made his way back towards the village. A little extra money can get you a lot of privacy in a village like that, no matter how suspicious you look. He knew it wasn't the wisest choice but if the plan that was rapidly developing in his mind was to come about, he would need to stick close to the squad from Konoha.

Entering his room after finishing his meal, he cast his mask aside and fell backwards onto the not so clean bed with a soft 'oomph', still fully dressed.

'Gah, I'm getting to old for this shit.' he thought bitterly to himself before a delighted smirk crossed his face and he chuckled. 'Kami, I'm good. I even had myself fooled for a second there~ I'm the only immortal Uchiha, I can't get old!" his laughter died down slowly as he looked out the window.

It had started raining lightly at some point. He didn't know why but days like this always made him remember his defection from Konoha.

'His defection!' Eyes widening minutely, his delighted smirk grew. Sitting up suddenly, the last pieces of his newly formed plan fell into place.

"It's perfect!"

It was common knowledge amongst the Akatsuki that Orochimaru was going to invade Konoha during the chuunin exams and he knew the snake would successfully lure Sasuke away from the supposed safety the village provided him with. It would be a devastating blow to the boy's team and that's where he could strike.

The Kyuubi brat was an essential part in his plan (that idiot Pein actually thought he wanted peace!), but he could sense that the brat was slowly but surely gaining strength, and that wasn't worrying at the moment but could prove a complication in the long run. He needed a way to slow that progress down as much as possible and soon because it was around their first chuunin exams that ninja really started realising their potential. And now, he had the perfect plan to deal with that problem. It came in the form of the brats teammates.

Madara himself didn't care much for what happened to Sasuke after he left. As long as he could still prove to be a useful tool for destroying Konoha later in life, Madara wouldn't interfere. His oath to kill Itachi would motivate him to gain unbelievable destructive power, power that would eventually be his downfall after Madara no longer found him useful. His destined abandonment of Konoha would be a crippling blow to the Kyuubi and halt his progress for a while, but he would gain motivation and power again quickly as he tried to return Sasuke to the village. That motivation would most likely come in the form of his sensei or the little Cherry.

Madara needed to get rid of that motivation and halt his progress for a longer period of time. This is where his plan could come into play! The Cherry! She would be the one to spur the Kyuubi into action; the brat wouldn't be able to stand seeing his love interest so broken and sad over his brother figure leaving. He would no doubt make some sort of ridiculous promise to retrieve the Uchiha so that they could all be a team again. The sensei, Hatake Kakashi, wouldn't be able to deal with his student's abandonment and would withdraw for a while, so he wasn't the problem. It was the Cherry; she would set everything in motion. He had no doubt that the Kyuubi would come about without her influence but it would take longer and his resolve wouldn't be as strong.

He had been mulling this over for a while but couldn't find the right way to remove her from the situation.

Killing her was out of the question. The Kyuubi would be spurred on by revenge and it would only increase his power, plus Madara found her too entertaining to kill. He didn't like the idea of being the one to end her life; it just didn't sit right with him for some reason.

Making her quit ninja life was also out of the question. It was an option until he saw how fast she grasped water walking; he couldn't let potential like that waste away in a civilian life.

Her sensei may have missed it but Madara never missed a thing. He could tell that there was a budding blossom of hate and jealousy towards her teammates taking root in the little pinkette (even if she couldn't feel it yet). It was no one's fault essentially; it could be linked to many different things. Be it the attention and praise they receive from Hatake that she didn't or their power and fast progress, he could see where she was coming from. After all, he went through something similar with that damned Hashirama Senju, even if it was for who would lead the village and prove they were stronger. Madara still hated him with everything he had.

This train of thought leads him to his final option.

Defection. He would get her to defect from that damned village. He would have to nurture that hate she unconsciously harboured for her teammates and sensei; and they were just making it too easy for him. He would need to make her attached to him, attached enough that she would come to him for everything, even to confide her darkest secrets. It helped that he had already started that connection. He would have to continue training her as well, someone with that much potential could aid him in the future; she would need a lot of work though. 'How did she become a ninja with a chakra supply like that?' he unconsciously wondered.

'I need to sever the ties she has with her teammates. It would be an added benefit if I can get her to defect around the same time as little Sasuke.' Smirk slowly receding, he lay back down and started to ponder his next few steps.

'Her bond to her team is weakening but is still strong, as is her loyalty to that village. She is already indebted to me on a small level; she even admitted that she owed me for the wallet. My next step should be to show her she can trust me with her life and depend on me for anything. No matter how absurd that sounds. Because...'

"Tobi is a good boy, he promises to protect Cherry-chan from everyone and stay with her, no matter what!"

'It looks like I might be visiting my future village sooner or later if Zabuza sticks to his plan, won't little Cherry-chan be in for a surprise when I tell her~' he thought gleefully, closing his eyes and falling into a light sleep.

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

Right after dinner, Kakashi quietly got Sakura's attention and led her out to the porch before laying down his crutches and sitting whilst gazing out into the light rain. Wondering what her sensei wanted to talk about, Sakura silently took a seat next to him and waited.

"What you did today was very irresponsible Sakura" Kakashi announced. Glancing at his shocked student, he decided to clarify. "You left the house without notifying anyone to where you went. What if Zabuza or the fake hunter-nin had gotten to you? You should have taken one of the boys with you in case something happened." He finished, watching as his students face turned an alarming shade of red and tears gathered in her eyes. 'Oh no, I made her cry!' he silently fretted, while keeping a calm facade on the outside 'what do I do?!'

"What?" Sakura ground out from between clenched teeth, surprising Kakashi with the amount of venom in her voice. "Naruto and Sasuke can go and train alone, deep in an unfamiliar forest all night for days on end until they've exhausted their chakra, but I can't go out and train alone on a beach for LESS than ONE day!"

"Now Sakura, be reasonable. The boys, well they- they can protect themselves, they've done it before, but you haven't got the experience they do. You're strong in your own way but we would worry about you being out on your own like today. You're the female of our team; it's natural for us to worry about your safety. Just bring one of the boys with you next time please?" Kakashi asked, inwardly having a panic attack when the tears started spilling from her eyes. 'Oh kami, what did I do to deserve this punishment?' (AN: If only you knew Kakashi, if only you knew~)

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!" Sakura shouted, unintentionally drawing the attention of the occupants of the house. "How can you say something like that? Don't you believe in me at all? I'M NOT WEAK! I may not have very deep chakra reserves but I can hold my own just fine WITHOUT YOU!"

"Sakura-chan! Are you ok? Was Kakashi-sensei being a pervert! DONT WORRY. I'LL PROTECT YOU SAKURA-CHAN!" shouted Naruto as he tried to tackle Kakashi, unknowingly making Sakura cry harder as she looked to Sasuke, praying her crush would side with her.

"Hn" was all he said as he walked back inside.

With a sob, Sakura ran off the porch and back down the puddle filled road, quickly disappearing from sight in the increasingly heavy downpour.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto called, making to go after her but being held back by Kakashi.

"Let her cool off Naruto. If she's not back by morning we'll go look for her, ok?"

"B-but she's still hurt Kakashi-sensei! She can't even hold a kunai properly with her hands like that!"

"She'll be fine Naruto; Zabuza won't be doing anything for a few days still."

**Madara's P.O.V.**

Eyes snapping open, Madara sat up and gazed out the window towards the familiar distressed chakra. Making out a flash of pink passing his inn he sighed,

"Again Cherry?"

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><p><strong>OH GOSH O.O I CANT BELIEVE I'VE GOT THIS MANY REVIEWS SO FAR! I'm shocked! Well I hope you liked this chapter~ sorry for the wait, job hunting and all that jazz~<strong>

**Please leave a review, I would really appreciate it~, no flames or just telling me everything you ****think**** is wrong with this fic.**

**Sakura-hime-sama**


	5. Chapter 5

_**I can't believe I've gotten over 50 reviews! That's the most I've ever received for any fic I've made!**_

_**~~~~~~~~Well on with the show~ please review at the end! If get the amount I'm thinking of, then I'll put up the next chapter faster~~~~~**_

****UPDATED: 3/09/13 ****

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><p><em>Eyes snapping open, Madara sat up and gazed out the window towards the familiar distressed chakra. Making out a flash of pink passing his inn, he sighed.<em>

"_Again Cherry?"_

**Madara's P.O.V.**

Reaching over and picking his mask up, he placed it securely back on his face, still focused on the chakra heading towards the other side of the village. With another drawn out sigh he stretched and disappeared. Reappearing silently a few seconds later, he was just feet behind the distressed pink haired girl.

Silently he followed as she tripped and stumbled her way through the misty forest surrounding the village, not the smartest move on her part if the cuts and forming bruises were to go by.

The rain was still pouring heavily when she came to a stop and collapsed under the cover of a large tree. He had taken to the trees as they proceeded further into the wood, preferring it over jogging on the muddy ground. Looking at her soaked form from his perch, he could tell she was crying again. Her loud sobs were the only other sound in the forest apart from the harsh patter of falling raindrops.

'I can't get a moments peace with you around, can I?' he thought somewhat amusedly.

Silently he jumped down to her slumped form and knelt before putting a hand on her shoulder, causing her to tense and jump before looking up at him frantically. Seeing her calm down slightly upon noticing it was him, he let a small smirk cross his face.

"Cherry, what happened? You're crying and hurt. Tobi was so worried when he noticed you rush past him." His said in a soft voice, his form reeking of concern and anxiousness.

"T-Tobi, I-I..." was all she could get out before becoming overwhelmed with sobs once again and attaching herself firmly to his kneeling form, crying into his chest. He tensed slightly, unsure of what to do. He eventually came to a decision and sat back on the ground, crossing his legs and pulling her onto his lap. He even started to pet her hair again. Becoming uncomfortable with the soaked girl weeping on his chest, he frowned and started trying to console her.

"Shhhh, it's ok Cherry-chan. Tobi is here and he'll make everything better. Don't cry Cherry, Tobi doesn't like it when his best friend is sad!" he cooed to her, resting his head on top of hers. Frown growing at how cold she felt, he pulled her closer with his free arm.

'I can't have my little cherry blossom breaking already, where's the fun in that?' he thought as he stopped petting her hair and started rubbing her back, hoping to warm her up a little.

When no response other than light crying came his way, his frown grew even greater.

'I'm the only one allowed to break my new tool. No one else has that right but me!' he growled to himself, his sharingan spinning slightly at his agitated thoughts.

"Please speak to Tobi Sakura, he's very worried about you" he cooed in her ear, watching as she calmed down a little and stopped crying when he said her name.

"M-my team, Tobi-" but he cut her off, noticing the flush staining her cheeks.

'Ahh, that fuckwit of a sensei and the brats, I knew it.'

"Let's get out of the rain first Cherry, you're going to get sick and Tobi doesn't want that!" he chirped out, standing up and cradling her to his chest bridal style, ignoring her squeal and slight protest. "We can go to where Tobi is staying, so he can make sure you're ok. Tobi thinks it's a great idea!" he continued, ignoring her protests and jumping up onto a large branch, a smirk coming to his face when he heard her give a started squeak and cling to him.

She had made it pretty far from the village and he doubted she would have known the way back. Had he left her to her own devices she might have gotten hypothermia. He started jumping from branch to branch, keeping his pace comfortable for the girl in his arms; he had to thank kami silently for this opportunity to get his plans in motion. They continued that way in silence, Sakura having finally relaxed and not tensing at every jump.

"Tobi thinks we're almost there Cherry-chan~" and of course, he was right. As soon as those words left his lips they were jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Soon enough, they entered the small inn where he was staying.

Deciding it best to keep carrying her, Madara refused to even acknowledge her attempts at escaping from his grasp, calmly continuing to his door. Shifting her to be cradled in one arm, he used his now free one to fish the key out of his pocket and open the door. Stepping into his room and switching on the light he silently closed the door behind them, mindful of the bundle in his arm.

"Can you put me down now, Tobi?" Sakura whispered, blushing heavily. Blushing at what, he could only guess. Complying with her wish Madara dropped her indignantly onto his bed, snickering slightly and dragging a chair next to said bed before taking a seat.

"Tobi!" she growled out, having yet to become aware of the fact that she had somehow dried off and wasn't soaking wet anymore.

"Tobi is sorry Cherry-chan! Please don't be mad at Tobi!" Madara whined out, sounding like she said she hated his guts and wanted him dead.

"B-but I-I...Gah, Fine! You're forgiven! Just stop looking at me with those damn puppy eyes!" Sakura said, smiling slightly at the lightening mood and finally noticing her dry state. "What..." she whispered, looking herself over and taking note that not even her hair was damp.

"Oh? You finally noticed Tobi dried you off with his chakra? It took Cherry long enough!" he said, sounding snobbishly exasperated with his masked nose in the air. Taking in her pouting form he started laughing childishly, and somewhat more naturally when she joined in.

"O-okay" she said calming down slightly and catching her breath. "But how did you do that? You know, dry me off?" she asked.

"That's Tobi's secret~. Now, Sakura better tell Tobi what made her so sad before. Tobi wants to know!" he pretty much demanded. "And you're not getting out of this Sakura." He added, seeing her start to argue. "Tobi only wants his best friend to be happy, and he can't make her happy without knowing what happened. Please tell Tobi, Cherry-chan. please?" he pouted, visible eye watering slightly.

'Aaaand, there.' he thought, watching the last of her doubts leave her face.

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

Looking at his visible black eye, Sakura felt the last doubt leave her mind.

'M-maybe Tobi CAN help me. It is nice to have someone to talk to about things like this..." she trailed off, opening her mouth and let all her thoughts just tumble out.

"My team thinks I'm weak Tobi. Not the _'just a little more work and you'll be fine'_ kind of weak but the '_you'll never be as strong as us so it's no use for you to even try'_ kind! Kakashi wanted me to bring one of the boys to watch over me while I trained! _'Just to make sure __you're__ fine'_ he said. But they're out training, on their own all night, in the middle of the forest! And he's fine with it! And Naruto, he always tries to protect me! It's nice and all but I think I could protect myself from a perverted sensei! A-and Sasuke-ku-, Sasuke doesn't care at all, but even he protects me when trouble starts! They think I'm useless Tobi! That I can't do anything on my own! I can though; they just never give me the chance. I can't even train with them, Kakashi sends me to watch the bridge builder all the time. I know I'm not as powerful as a lot of people out there, but I want to at least be able to TRY and get stronger." Sakura told him, hands clenched in the comforter covering the bed. Looking up she focused on his masked face.

"I know I'm weak Tobi. But they just don't give me a chance to grow. It's not like I want to be weak. I want to be as strong as them; I just need a little help getting to there. They're my boys Tobi; I want to be able to stand beside them as an equal."

"Tobi will just have to tell you again then." He said, looking back at her. "Tobi thinks your sensei should go fuck himself, and your teammates should too. Every ninja needs a little help at the start, no matter what they say. Your sensei sounds like a twit and your teammates sound like their overprotective, bipolar brats." He stated, leaning back and looking out the window.

"Tobi told you he quit being a ninja right?" at her confused nod, he continued. "Tobi quit because of his teammate. We were both going for the team leader position, everyone knew Tobi was stronger and would lead our team with more success but our elders still voted my teammate leader instead. Tobi worked for years to get that position. Tobi tried his hardest at everything he did for it. But they still gave the position to him instead of Tobi, they had always favoured him. Tobi couldn't take the gloating looks he got from his teammate's clan all the time and got into a HUGE fight with that bastard. Tobi had to resign soon after. Tobi's just been travelling since then, but no matter how far he goes, he still hates his teammate for being the favoured one. They said he was stronger, had more leadership abilities, was just better suited than Tobi." Tobi turned his gaze back to her and continued.

"Your teammates sound favoured too Sakura. Do they get the special treatment? It sounds like it. Tobi hates it when people succeed and grow stronger just because they're favoured over others that are left to be forgotten. Tobi wants Sakura to know that if it ever happens to her, she has a place with Tobi. Always." He finished, sounding like he wanted to say more but held himself back.

"...Thank you Tobi, that means a lot to me." She said, still in a slight shock over his story.

An unexpected yawn escaped her, reminding the pinkette of the time.

'Tobi is so strong though! Why wouldn't they pick him? He's been so nice to me, he even taught me water walking! Not even Kakashi did that!'

"It's ok Cherry-chan, Tobi means it though. If Cherry ever needs anything she can come to Tobi. You're Tobi's best friend, he would do anything for you~" he sang out. Watching as he stood from his chair and pulled it to the window, before sitting again.

"What are you doing?" she asked, a little amused at his antics, as well as confused.

"It's getting late and Cherry needs to sleep. Tobi moved so she could be more comfortable." He said, looking out the window.

"I should get back to Tazuna's house then, I can sleep there. I don't want to steal your bed Tobi, you've already done so much for me!" she had started getting up at this point, and would have made it to a standing position if it weren't for Tobi appearing before her and gently pushing her back down.

"No, Tobi doesn't want Cherry going near that poor excuse of a team yet. Cherry will get upset again and Tobi would have to find another way to cheer you up! Just take Tobi's bed; he's a gentleman just like he was taught to be. You can have Tobi's bed for the night and if you really want to, you can make Tobi breakfast as a thank you~ Tobi would like breakfast. Besides its raining pretty hard now." he finished in a slightly excited voice

"W-well...I suppose I could...if you really don't mind me taking the bed?"

"It's fine Cherry, just go to sleep, Tobi will protect you from the monsters." he stage whispered back to her, eliciting a tired giggle from the pinkette as she got under the covers and laid down; wave after wave of fatigue seemed to be crashing down on her. A strange thought crossed her mind once she was relaxed- one she decided to voice.

"Tobi?" she asked, closing her eyes and getting comfortable in the slightly lumpy bed.

"Yes?" he replied from his seat by the window.

"I think you would have made a better team leader than your teammate. He sounds like a prick, accepting the position when he knew you wanted it so badly." Sakura stated quietly before sleep claimed her, not noticing the red glow that came from the eye hole in Tobi's mask at the end of her statement. Nor did she hear his reply.

"That makes you the first Blossom, and I appreciate it."

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><p><strong>Sorry if Madara seemed a little mushy in this chapter but I really couldn't think of another way to get what happened out of the way~ haha.<strong>

**For those who are interested, I just finished _Forever young_ its AkatSaku~ give it a read if you like that sort of thing...it also had a bit of MadaSaku as well~~~**

**You should know the drill by now but just for those who don't- please leave a review. I would really appreciate it~, no flames or just telling me everything you ****think**** is wrong with this fic.**

**Sakura-hime-sama**


	6. Chapter 6

_**This chapter is dedicated **__**to**__** my dear 61st reviewer~ TheEmoChick, I hope you like it~**_

_**DarkIkari8520- thanks for the review, it inspired me to get off my ass and get writing!**_

_**HAPPY GLOWING CRYSTAL- i made it a little longer~ hope you enjoy!**_

_**Chiryome- more for you then~ thank you~**_

_**Glow593-thanyou so much, you just brightened my day**_

_**Miss Chocolate- O.o I-I'm a little star struck, thank you so much for reviewing! I'll be the first to admit that I'm not so great with grammar and the like, but i can't get a beta or anything= My reason: I'm an impatient bitch when it comes to my writing. I spend about 30min reading through the chapters once their done, and want to put them up straight after. If i don't then i get pissy and lazy... hence why chapter 4 took so long to get up.**_

_**Angel1897- you just keep reviewing, don't you?~ ha-ha well thank you for being here from the start.**_

_**Well on with the show then~**_

_**Whoever gets the review number I'm thinking of now gets next chapter dedicated to them~**_

_****UPDATED: 3/09/13 ****_

* * *

><p><em>The area surrounding her was completely black; she doubted she could even see her hand in front of her face. Vaguely she could hear the clashing of metal and the sound of faint battle cries. The air around her reeked of blood and dirt, followed by the faint scent of freshly fallen rain.<em>

_Subtle colours __were__ starting to mix in with the black now, faint at first but suddenly gaining brightness and shape. It took a few seconds to comprehend the scene now playing out before her, but when she did...she couldn't help the silent gasp that escaped her._

_It...it looked like Naruto...but, older somehow. He was standing there looking at her, blood and cuts littering a new orange/black jacket and pants. He looked like he was stuck deciding between whether to glare at her or burst into tears and hug her._

"_Why, Sakura-chan! How could you do this to me? To your team?!"_

'_Naruto? What's going on, what did __I__ do?' she tried to ask, only to realise she couldn't speak out loud. That realization was closely followed by another, Naruto wasn't looking at HER, he was looking at a blurry form standing next to her._

"_How could __I__? HOW COULD YOU, NARUTO! It's __entirely your__ fault. I just wanted someone to believe in me, to trust me! But did you? NO! No matter how hard __I__ tried, I just couldn't measure up to you or Sasuke o-or even Kakashi-sensei." The figure next to her screamed out at Naruto. It was then she realized: this was her. It was herself she was standing next to, though still blurred; she could make out the similarities._

_How could she have not noticed the pink hair?_

"_Sakura...you don't know what you're saying. He's twisted your mind, this isn't you talking. Just come back with me, we can find Sasuke-teme together and be a team again!_

'_He thinks someone else is making me think this way?' she thought, outraged at his stupidity._

"_He is not! I would trust his word over anything that you could possibly tell me! You're a liar Naruto; __I__ won't believe anything that comes out of your mouth! You never trusted me, why should I give you that curtsey after you betrayed it the first time?" the blurry Sakura hissed at Naruto, taking a small step back as Kakashi appeared next to him._

"_Sakura, you're still my student and you need to listen to me. He's poisoning your mind; you CAN NOT trust anything he says to you. Please, just come back with us, let us protect you!" he said, holding his hand out to her, a pleading expression in his visible eye._

'_Naruto...betrayed me? Who's this 'he' they keep talking about?...THEY STILL WANT TO PROECT ME! EVEN IN MY DREAMS? WILL THEY EVER LET ME DO THINGS FOR MYSELF?' Sakura shrieked in her mind, glaring at them right alongside her other self._

"_Protect me? PROTECT ME!? Are you STUPID! I can protect myself just fine without you; I don't need your help! Your just trying to get me KILLED!" the blurry one shrieked out__,__ reaching for a kunai._

'_W-what am I doing? I wouldn't really attack my team, would __I__?'_

"_Sa-Sakura-chan, we would never-" blurry Sakura cut him off, taking another step back._

"_I would be executed on sight if I went back to that village! I'm not from a ninja clan and __I__ don't have any kekkei genkai to offer the elders. He's already told me about their plan to lure me back using you two and give me a public execution as punishment!" Sakura watched__,__ stunned__,__ as Kakashi stiffened, pulling his headband up to reveal the sharingan._

"_How did he get that information-" "KAKASHI! What are you talking about; Tsunade told me that she would give Sakura a full pardon! HOW COULD YOU JOKE AROUND AT A TIME LIKE THIS?" Naruto bellowed at Kakashi, his eyes flickering red._

"_I just told you Naruto, but I'll repeat myself just this once for you. I don't have anything other than information to give them. Sasuke would get the pardon because he has the sharingan and they don't want to lose that power. They would just torture me until they got what they wanted then drag me into the middle of the village and have me executed." Sakura stated calmly, not at all bothered by the red chakra that started seeping from Naruto._

'_Na-Naruto what's happening to you? Why would Kakashi do that to me?'_

"_Now if that's all, I'm late for an important meeting. I hope I never see you __two__ traitors again." She finished as another black and orange blurry figure appeared behind her._

"_It's him Naruto! Get him away from Sakura! We can't let her get away again!" Kakashi yelled__,__ starting towards them, only to be pushed back by another explosion of red chakra from Naruto._

_Watching the orange and black form put its arms around the other Sakura's middle, they all started to fade from view once again. Naruto's red chakra flared as he charged towards them, arms out in a desperate attempt to get to her._

"_No, get away from her! Sakura-chan, please! SAKURAAAAA!"_

_And everything faded to black once more._

'_What-what's happening, what was that?'_

"_You can't trust him Sakura-chan!"_

'_Who Naruto, I can't trust who?'_

"_Please, just listen to us!"_

'_I AM! WHO CANT I TRUST?'_

"_You can't trust him!"_

'_But...'_

"_YOU CAN'T TRUST HIM SAKURA, HE'LL KILL US ALL!"_

'_But...How can I trust __**you**__? You were trying to KILL ME! GAH, what is going on? What was that about?'_

"_You're better off with me, Sakura. My little blossom~ you're always safe with me__.__" a dark voice whispered out to her._

'_Who are you!'_

"_..." the reply sounded too far away to make out, no matter how hard she tried or how many times she repeated her question._

Waking up to the sun shining in her eyes, Sakura groaned. She could remember the dream as clear as day, but... what did it mean? Naruto betrayed her? Kakashi was trying to get her tortured and executed! Sasuke had betrayed the village! And there was apparently someone she couldn't trust, despite him saving her from Naruto and Kakashi...it was all just too confusing to think about.

Thank kami it was only a dream...

Stretching slightly, Sakura attempted to sit up, wondering why Tsunami hadn't been in to wake her yet. Frowning slightly at the weight laying around her middle, she opened her eyes and bit back a shriek.

'Tobi!' she hissed out in her mind, having frozen completely upon seeing him next to her on the bed. He was lying on top of the blankets, mask still in place, with his arms cuddling her to his chest. Eye twitching slightly she started to squirm, attempting to break his hold on her.

"Tobi, Let me go, you pervert!" she growled out quietly. He did nothing to reply, only tightened his hold slightly and nuzzled his face deeper into her hair. Sakura couldn't help but let her expression soften slightly, wondering how long he had stayed awake to protect her from 'the monsters' as he put it.

Even though she had only known him for a few days, she had found herself trusting that he wouldn't try anything while she slept. Deciding to continue with that placement of trust, she let herself relax again and stopped squirming. Occupying her mind with something else, she started to analyse her dream, trying to figure out what it was telling her.

Kakashi had betrayed her, planning to give her up to the elders. She didn't know what she had done, but it sounded bad.

He wouldn't do that though, he was her sensei! She could trust him with her life...they may not have been on the best of terms lately but still...

Sasuke had gone somewhere, and Naruto wanted to find him together. She had no idea why he would leave or where he had gone, but he had betrayed them. Even the thought of it made her sick. They were a team, they should always be there for one another...she tried to ignore the fact that they had been excluding her when she thought this, but couldn't get it completely out of her mind.

And Naruto, she had said he betrayed her, calling him a liar. And he had said she did something to the team! It sounded like she had left, but SHE was the one calling them traitors! What had they done to deserve that? What was more worrying though was the red chakra he had been giving off. She had heard of all different kinds and colours, but never red. What did that mean?

And that figure that appeared behind the other Sakura...they had said not to trust him, that he was manipulating her. She couldn't help but feel he was familiar though.

Shaken out of the thoughts a few minutes later, she opened her eyes to see Tobi sitting up and stretching. Smiling slightly when he looked over at her with a sheepish air surrounding him, she followed suit, sitting up and brushing her hair from her face.

"Tobi is sorry for sleeping in the same bed as you, Cherry-chan. He just got so tired though... and that chair is very uncomfortable." He apologized, head hanging low and his visible eye watering. "Will Cherry please forgive Tobi? Please?"

'Who could stay mad at a person like that?' she thought to herself, getting out from under the blankets and glomping him.

"Awww, it's ok Tobi, I can't stay mad at you~" she said, barley restraining the urge to squeal.

"Now, Tobi thinks Cherry-chan owes him breakfast~!" HE squealed out after she let go, bouncing slightly on the spot.

"Well, it would make me feel better about stealing your bed. Ok, what do you want?" she asked. Looking over at the poor excuse of a kitchen provided by the inn, she pondered what she could make.

"Anything is fine; Tobi doesn't care as long as it's good." He said while he headed towards the bathroom she just noticed. "Tobi's going to have a shower now, make sure it's ready by the time he's done!" and with that, he was gone.

Slightly put off by the last demand, she grumbled under her breath and pouted slightly before starting to look through the drawers and fridge. 20 minutes later the smell of freshly cooked eggs filled the room, causing the bathroom door to open and a damp haired Tobi to wander out.

"Yay, Tobi hasn't had eggs in months! Cherry-chan is so nice~" he sang out, before sitting at the table with a plate full in front of him. Still a little angry, Sakura ignored him while continuing to clean up. "Hey, why didn't Cherry make any for herself? Tobi wants to have breakfast with Cherry-chan!" Tobi whined out, sounding like he was pouting up a storm.

"I need to return to Tazuna's house Tobi. My team is probably worried about me, I was gone all night." She forced out, not wanting to talk about her team after what had happened yesterday, also that dream just wouldn't leave her mind.

"Aww, ok then Cherry, Tobi understands. But could Cherry do Tobi one more favour? Just a little one?" he said, sounding put out that she wouldn't stay.

"Ok, but what is it. I need to go soon, before they start looking for me." She sighed.

"...can you brush Tobi's hair for him?" she could already feel the puppy eyes forming under his mask.

**Madara's P****.****O****.****V****.**

After passing her a brush, he lent back in his chair. Having finished his food while she was cleaning, he didn't have to worry about her 'accidentally' seeing his face. Feeling her pull his hair out from under his scarf and mask he smirked, he would never admit it to anyone but he loved it when other people brushed his hair. His new tool was proving to have her small uses already, and why shouldn't she help him out a bit? He had stayed up most of the night to make sure her sensei didn't come snooping around; this was the least she could do to repay him.

Even though he would have been up all night anyway...

Closing his eyes, he let a soft sigh escape his parted lips and felt his shoulders relax. He stayed like that for almost 10 minutes until she sat the brush onto the table and took a step back.

"Tobi, I have to go now. I'm going to be in trouble already! It'll take me about half an hour to get back, I NEED to go!" Sakura told him, starting towards the door, only to be stopped when he put his hand on her shoulder.

"Weeeelllllllll~ Tobi will just have to help Cherry with that then, won't he? ~" he sang out, twirling her around so she was facing him, he poked her forehead and watched her expression change from irritated to frightened and confused as she disappeared.

'I'll be seeing you soon, my little blossom'

**Sakura's P****.****O****.****V****.**

One minute she was standing in front of Tobi and feeling like she was being sucked down a drain, the next she lay flat on her back covered in mud, about 200 meters away from Tazuna's house.

"What the hell?" she mumbled out, climbing to her feet and gathering her wits. Slowly, after gaining her balance back, she started towards the tree line and after clearing it, the house.

Opening the door she looked at the clock. It was 9:26 A.M, still pretty early for the male occupants of the house, so she figured she was in the clear...until Kakashi started making his way down the stairs.

Looking up at him, she could practically feel the disapproval oozing from his form. The way his eyes held disappointment as he gazed at her made her apprehension towards him slowly turn to anger.

'It was his fault I left last night anyway, why should he be disappointed in me!?'

"Sakura" he drawled out "I can understand that you were angry with me," 'Were? I STILL AM!' "but you shouldn't have run off like that. You could have gotten sick or injured and we wouldn't have known. You had Naruto up fretting all night; he almost wasn't able to come to training today. You should have known better than that. I want you to jog laps around the house until Sasuke, Naruto and I return later as punishment. No breaks, you're to start now."

"B-but sensei I-" she started to protest, but was cut off by the now emerged Sasuke and Naruto.

"Tch, Annoying." As her eyes widened, he continued "You're worse than Naruto." he stated while walking past her and out the door.

"Sakura-chan! I'm glad you're ok, I was so worried about you being on your own all night. I would have come and found you but Kakashi said you would be fine, 'coz he had checked the village and forest earlier so there was no one around that would try to hurt you and we didn't-" his babbling was cut off by Kakashi, who was waiting by the door.

"Naruto, we need to go. Let Sakura jog her laps in peace." He said, turning around and heading out.

"See you later Sakura-chan" Naruto yelled as he darted out the door to catch up with the other two. Listening carefully she could hear him start to complain as they walked down the dirt road.

"Aw, that's unfair Kakashi-sensei! You make us run laps all day, but Sakura gets to jog hers until we get back at lunch!"

"Naruto, leave it be, I didn't think she was up for that sort of thing at the moment."

"Hn"

Sakura was fuming mad by the time they made it out of earshot. Kakashi even went easy on her with punishments! She just couldn't believe them! Why couldn't they just treat her like an equal for once in their team's life?

Kakashi made everything she had to do easy.

Naruto always fretted over her.

Sasuke didn't care at all.

She was jealous of their progress and the faith everyone had in them!

She wanted the bond they had; the one she felt she would never be a part of.

At that moment she knew she hated them for it, no matter how petty and low it made her feel.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Thanks for reading~<strong>_

_**You should know the drill by now, but just for those who don't- please leave a review, **__**I**__** would really appreciate it~ no flames or just telling me everything you **__**think**__** is wrong with this fic.**_

_**Sakura-hime-sama**_


	7. Chapter 7

**This chapter is dedicated to my 69th and 70th reviewers, Itachis rose and LadyNorth76, hehehehehehe 69~...ok now that my childish amusement is out of the way:**

**Itachis rose**- your review was the kind I love, and just for that I made this chapter a little longer. Ah,' is she going to be powerful or is she going to go back to return to Konoha and betray Madara'...to be honest, I haven't gotten that far yet...and I wouldn't tell you anyway *snicker*

**LadyNorth76-**here's your update, thank you for giving me my 70th review~ I made it a little longer in honor of this! I'm glad you liked Madara's mushiness.

**TeenageCrisis**-thanks~~~

**TheEmonChick**- thanks for the review, I was actually wondering whether I should put that in or not but in the end I was all like: who wouldn't want to play with Madara's long hair! Stop being a pussy and PUT IT IN! *insert that's what she said joke here*

**ObitoU . 4evrYoung**-thank you, that's exactly what I was aiming for. I do hope this chapter is to your likening~ and thanks for the review.

**Sasuke-KiraLover**- thank you so much for the review, you're the one that had me up until 4 A.M. writing this~ your review just made me giddy with the urge to write.

**Angel1897**-gah, you embarrass me *insert flattered author here* thank you for ANOTHER review, and I made it a little longer for you as well.

**NeedxYourxLove-** O/O thankyou~ here's your update

**Miss chocolate-** another review? Yay~ h he a vision of the future, a mind trick by Madara or am I a being a troll? Hmmmmm, I'm just going to leave that as my little secret for now.

I just can't keep chapters stockpiled *pout* I tried once, but forgot about it completely. Seriously, it was in a folder for over a year until I found it again O.o

I agree team 7 could be so unfair to Naruto and Sakura, but mostly Sakura. You never see her receive any training other than tree climbing. That was actually what gave me the inspiration for this. I was just reading the Manga again and was like:

'_How could someone be ok with that? Wouldn't she resent them for it, even a little bit?'_ I think she would be a more likable person if she were portrayed a little bitter and angry at being left behind all the time. Hmm, she would never leave on her own, so, who would be hateful enough to taint the mind of the little Cherry blossom?...AH-HA!

And now...here we are~ tada~

_**Well on with the show then~**_

_**Whoever gets the review number I'm thinking of now gets next chapter dedicated to them~**_

_****UPDATED: 3/09/13 ****_

* * *

><p>Sakura couldn't thank Tsunami enough for the rice balls she had handed her as she jogged past.<p>

After the boys left, she decided it best not to push her luck and had started on her assigned jogging. On the 11th lap her stomach pains had increased to nearly unbearable, that's when kami decided to ease her suffering by sending in his dark haired angel, Tsunami, with her heavenly rice balls.

As much as she hated to admit it, she was too hungry to run laps around the house, feeling bitter at the start she had ran the first 6, almost getting to the 7th before her stomach decided to make itself known with an angry protest. She may have resented Kakashi, but she could still grudgingly admit he was right. She could see where he was coming from about not being able to run the laps, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

Jogging past the front door again, she grabbed another rice ball from the plate set out for her.

Deciding that she had had enough, she stuffed what was left in her mouth and increased her pace slightly. She WOULD prove herself to them! With this running through her head, Sakura increased her pace again and again until she was eventually running as fast as she possibly could. Coming to circle the house again, the pinkette avoided Tazuna's questioning gaze from behind the front door.

'I'll MAKE them accept me. I won't give them a choice! I'll show them I have what it takes to be a ninja.' she thought bitterly to herself, angry tears that she refused to let fall gathering in her eyes. Pushing herself to run faster, she also refused to use the chakra that was begging to be released in her legs. There was no need to use it yet, so why not keep it saved?

...12...14...17...26...33...58...71...

The laps all began to blur together as she lost count belting around the corner again she stumbled slightly, almost falling. Panting, Sakura started to slow down; she glanced down at her sweat covered form in mild disgust but shrugged it off and slowed until she was jogging lightly. She refused to stop; she had yet to prove her worth to team 7. It was nearing lunch and if what she had overheard was true, they would be returning soon.

'I need to keep going until they get here, just a little longer' she thought to herself desperately, black spots covering her vision.

'No, not yet...Just a ...little...more...' and with that thought, she collapsed on the ground unconscious, unaware that she had been observed by two very different people. One proved to be Tazuna as he left the house picking up her crumpled form, sighing slightly.

The other observer watched amusedly as the old man retreated back inside with the pinkette.

'Oh little Blossom, if only they knew what they were doing to you.' he chuckled slightly to himself before his red eye faded into nothingness.

_It was completely black again; Sakura couldn't help the feeling of dread that overtook her. _

'_Not this again' she thought to herself as colours started to bleed into the dark area._

"_SAKURA-CHAN!" Naruto bellowed, rushing into a newly made clearing, followed by a group of around 9 people. Smoke was rising sluggishly off the newly destroyed trees as Naruto let out a frustrated yell "Sakura, LOOK AT ME! DONT TRY AND IGNORE ME AGAIN!"_

_Looking in the direction of the blonde__'__s yell, she stared at the pink haired form that turned to face him from the opposite end of the clearing. The figure was still blurry and Sakura could only make out the pink of the hair and green of the eyes, everything else was just a mix of smudged colours._

"_Oh, it's you again...Go away" t-this was her? Why did she sound so cold? And was that BLOOD gathering around the other Sakura's feet! Oh no, she was hurt?_

'_Naruto, don't just stand there! HELP ME!' Sakura pleaded almost in hysterics._

"_Sakura, look at what you're doing to yourself! Please, come back with me! I told Tsunade all about the elders plan and she promised she wouldn't let them touch you! Please Sakura, we can finally be a team again, just as soon as Sasuke decides to get his ass back to Konoha." he promised before taking a step towards the pinkette, and letting out a panicked yell once he finally noticed the pool of blood gathering at her feet._

'_Naruto! Get over there and help-'she was cut off by the other figure._

"_But Naruto, even a baka like you should know...I didn't do this to myself." She said, motioning to her blurry body "...Sasuke did."_

_Both Naruto and Sakura let out choked gasps as they took a step back._

'_S-Sasuke...did that to...me?'_

"_S-Sasuke...Sasuke wouldn't..." he mumbled out, eyes widening at something she couldn't see, he turned to face another side of the clearing. Sakura watched as his eyes turned red again, and flinched slightly at his enraged bellow._

"_SASUKE! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE AND STOP HIDING LIKE THE COWARD YOU ARE!" all of a sudden there was a flurry of movements and...Sasuke stood before them all. He looked so... different, a white open shirt with a purple rope bow covered his top half and bluish coloured pants covered the bottom. He had a blood covered sword drawn and lying loosely in one hand._

"_Naruto" was all he had to say before Naruto started to charge him; soon he was joined by the other figures as they all tried to corner Sasuke. Looking back at the other Sakura, she was shocked to see the black and orange figure back again. This time he was standing in front of her, back to the group and a soft green chakra covering his hands as he laid them on her stomach._

_As everything started to fade again she could just make out some of his dark, anger filled words._

"_Sakura," he said in a soft growl "tell me who did this to you__.__"_

_And she was swallowed by the darkness once more._

Rousing, the pink haired girl shot up from the bed, frantically glancing at the alarm next to her she let out a frustrated yell.

2:53pm

Deciding it was best to try and forget the dream; she pushed the blankets off and made a mad dash from the room towards the stairs. Noticing Tsunami watching her from the living room when she made it down, she looked at her anxiously the question clear in her eyes.

'Had they arrived back yet, was she too late?'

Sakura watched as the mother gave her a sympathetic look and with a nod, Tsunami looked towards the front yard. Following her gaze, Sakura noticed her teammates crowding around the tree line, relaxing in the rare sun. Swallowing slightly, she slowly made her way over and opened the door, drawing their attention away from the conversation that had been going on. Smiling slightly when she noticed Naruto beam at her, she looked to her other teammates.

"Sakura I told you to jog laps around the house, not go and sleep because you were out all night. I'm very disappointed in you and I'll have a fitting punishment thought up for when we return to Konoha."

"But, Kakashi-sensei! I did do laps, I lost count but I ran a heap! Please, you have to believe me." she pleaded to him.

"It's true Kakashi, I was watching her. I lost count at 36 or so, but she did do the laps. Father brought her in when she collapsed." Tsunami called as she walked past the door and up the stairs.

Sakura watched as Kakashi looked between her and the mother's back, before finally nodding and letting out a sigh.

"I'll believe Tsunami-san, but if I find out you convinced her to lie for you Sakura, there will be trouble." he said. Eyeing her creased and dirt covered dress he added "you should go and clean up. Tsunami-san might require help preparing dinner later."

With a small nod, Sakura returned to the house and headed to the bathroom, lost in thought once again.

'Why didn't he believe me? He seemed to trust Tsunami's word over mine! We didn't even know her until a few days ago and she's more trusted than me!?' at her outraged thought she threw the bathroom door open and stormed inside.

**Madara's P****.****O****.****V****.**

After watching the pinkette collapse from exhaustion, Madara decided it would benefit him to observe her team a little more, learning the habits and quirks of the enemy was never a bad thing after all.

'Oh little Blossom, if only they knew what they were doing to you.' he chuckled slightly to himself before teleporting to a tree branch just meters behind that twit Hatake, hidden by a well-placed genjutsu.

"You're progressing pretty fast for genin, but you could still do better." Kakashi acknowledged, nose stuck in his book not paying any attention to the boys failed attempts at tree climbing.

"Ne, how did Sakura-chan get it so fast Kakashi-sensei? She got it first try and we've been going at it for DAYS." Naruto whined out, exasperated. With a sigh Kakashi lowered his book and looked at Naruto and Sasuke, who had stopped their charges and were focusing on him intently.

"Sakura has naturally advanced chakra control, she may need a little more training, but she's almost perfect with it. That's why I have her stay with Tazuna, I don't have time for that now and you two need all the help you can get."

"Hn"

Laughing, Naruto mockingly patted Sasuke on the back as he turned to his tree.

"Oh don't pout teme, just because Sakura-chan is better than you at something..." watching the little Uchiha glare daggers at the Kyuubi, Madara smirked.

'Ah, so he's jealous of the blossom's control. Amusing as it is, I'll need to keep an eye on him, just to make sure he doesn't do anything I'll make him regret. She's MY tool now and I can't have her broken.' Madara thought to himself, frowning at the slight clench his chest gave at the thought of the girl being hurt, he decided to ignore it.

"Dobe"

"Teme"

Kakashi sighed again, lifting his book back to its previous position and picked up where he left off. Deciding that there wouldn't be anything else worthwhile to observe, Madara disappeared, heading back to his inn room.

'I'll have to keep more of an eye on my tool now that Zabuza has moved his attack up a few days.'

**Sakura's P****.****O****.****V****.**

Helping Tsunami with cleaning after dinner had become a routine for Sakura, duck here, move this, don't touch that, put it away but only when she says. It was quite the workout in itself; with all the running around she made Sakura do. But today Sakura just didn't feel like helping the woman out. Rather, she decided to observe her instead.

'Why does Kakashi trust her more? Is it because she's older? What does she have that I don't?' Sakura wondered, watching the woman bustle around the kitchen. She looked so graceful when she moved, never tripping or stumbling over her own feet. Sakura watched in envy as Tsunami made a graceful turn, dumping the used plates into the sink.

"How do you do that?" Sakura finally asked.

"Hm, what was that dear?"

"How are you so graceful?" Sakura repeated, watching the lady's cheeks colour slightly, a flattered expression on her face.

"My mother made me take dance classes when I was younger; I guess you just never forget some things." She said a slightly wistful tone in her voice. Upon noticing Sakura's slightly put out expression, she asked what was wrong.

"I wish I could be like that, I trip over my own feet all the time, and it's embarrassing for a ninja." Sakura admitted, looking up from under her pink bangs with a shy giggle escaping her mouth. Watching the other woman's eyes turn to hearts, Sakura became confused and shifted slightly in her seat.

"Sooooo cuuuutteee" the older woman whispered out in a soft cooing voice. "I can teach you how, if you want dear." She offered the pinkette.

Jumping at the chance, Sakura's face lit up in a huge smile as she nodded.

"We can get started now, there's no time like the present. But let's change those bandages first" she said, taking Sakura's hand and leading her to the table like a young child.

"Ha-ha, I forgot they were even hurt. They haven't bothered me at all since yesterday, actually." Sakura said, just now noticing. Looking out the kitchen window, she focused on watching her team as they practiced. Turning around sharply at the other woman's gasp, Sakura's breath caught in her throat. Her hands were...

Perfectly fine.

Not as in, doing a little better, but completely healed! Looking over at Tsunami she noticed the same look of wonder that was currently painting her own face. Tsunami's face suddenly split into a conspiring grin, leaving Sakura to wonder what the hell was going on.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a boyfriend Saku-chan? Ohhh, I haven't had girl talk in ages!" she gushed out, almost squealing in glee.

"W-what? I don't have a boyfriend! Where did you get that idea?" Sakura asked, somewhat shocked at the older woman's mood swings.

"Don't deny it~ I found this tucked in the bandages! He must be so sweet! Healing your hands because he can't stand seeing you in pain! Awww it sounds so romantic ~" she said, stars in her eyes, while handing Sakura a little slip of paper.

_Tobi just couldn't stand the thought of Cherry-chan being hurt, so he fixed it all up. Please don't be mad at Tobi, he's a good boy! –Tobi 3_

What. The. Fuck.

It even had a smiling lollipop at the bottom!

Tobi had...healed her hands? When did he get time to do that without her noticing? While pondering it hit her, when she was sleeping. That must have been why he fell asleep beside her. Her eyes softened as she put the now folded paper into her kunai holster and away from prying eyes.

"He's just a friend, Tsunami-san" Sakura said, finally finding her voice.

"Sure~ and does Kakashi know about this 'friend' of yours? And please, call me Tsunami-chan" she said with an evil little twinkle in her eye. This question had Sakura panicking though, her throat closing up as she started sweating extensively. Looking around to make sure no one heard them; she looked at the other woman.

"Please, you can't tell sensei about him! He's my only friend, please just don't tell anyone." Sakura got out, eyes watering slightly as she watched the other woman's turn to hearts again.

"Aw, so it's forbidden love? He's from another village isn't he? Don't worry your sweet little head, I won't say a word. Now, I was going to teach you to move gracefully wasn't I? Let's get to that."

"He's not my boyfriend!"Sakura hissed out quietly but the other woman continued to ignore her protests and lead her to the living room, so they could practice in private.

**Naruto's P****.****O****.****V****.**

Freezing suddenly, Naruto dropped from his tree, landing gracefully on his feet and turned to Kakashi.

"What is it Naruto? Are you bored again? Well too bad, get back to practicing" Kakashi said, not even looking up from his book.

"But Kakashi" Naruto whined, looking towards the house "my Sakura senses are tingling!"

"...your...what?" Sasuke decided to add and just as he finished that comment a shriek was heard from the house.

Kakashi was obviously the first to make it inside, followed by Sasuke with Naruto trailing right behind. As Naruto burst into the living room he froze in confusion, taking in the scene before him.

"Ahhh, what's going on...?" he managed to get out, watching as Kakashi sighed and left after noticing that there was no danger. Sasuke just 'hn'ed' and followed Kakashi out. Sakura was sprawled face down on the ground, clothed in her undershirt and bike shorts. Tsunami stood just behind her looking amusedly at the pinkette.

"It's ok Naruto, you can go back outside. I'm just teaching Sakura how to make her movements more graceful." The older woman sang out, looking over at him with a smile.

'Oh man, Sakura-chan is so pretty~ I want her to come and watch me whoop the teme's ass at tree climbing.' He thought airily to himself. Fighting the blush that was warring to take over his face Naruto attempted to distract himself.

"Aha ha, wow you must be pretty bad at it, hey Sakura-chan? W-why don't you just get dressed and come watch us train for a while?" he asked, looking at everything but his pink haired crush. 'Say yes, please say yes' he prayed to himself, his blush darkening significantly.

"...no, I need to learn this Naruto. Go back outside." Sakura said in a short, cold tone. Watching her get up, Naruto deflated with a sigh, turning and walking back outside and to their training area.

He also missed the pinkette's smouldering glare.

**Sakura's P****.****O****.****V****.**

'I'll show Naruto' she seethed to herself, copying the stance Tsunami had just performed. Back straight, arms high above her head and one foot lifted slightly off the ground. Letting the stance go once the older woman motioned to, Sakura rotated her shoulders, wincing slightly.

'Now I know how she stays so thin' she pondered, flinching at the thought of repeating the same routine over and over again.

"Very good Sakura-chan, you're getting the hang of it already! Just remember what I told you, don't keep thinking about your movements; just do what comes naturally and you'll see improvement in no time."

"Thank you so much Tsunami-chan. It's going to really help me out with my clumsiness." Sakura nodded to the woman and decided it was time for sleep, passing out earlier hadn't made her any less tired apparently. "I should head to bed now; I don't want to be too tired for tomorrow. Kakashi wants us all to watch your father, something about team building." She mumbled out as she walked to her room.

Thinking back to Naruto's comment, Sakura rubbed her chest at the sudden hot clench it gave. He had basically told her to just give up. Not straight up, but in his own Naruto'ish way. She couldn't understand how she hadn't noticed her team's behaviour before this! How could she have missed it? Being excluded and ignored wasn't something she was okay with. Sakura knew Ino didn't have to endure anything like this, she had known her teammates since they were toddlers. Hinata she wasn't sure about, but from what she could tell, her team at least respected and supported her. But Sakura...no, she didn't have any of that.

She silently envied the other girls, and knew she could never bond with her team like they had.

'It's not FAIR!' she silently screamed in her mind, before taking a deep calming breath and relaxing as much as she could. Changing into her sleep clothes, Sakura got herself comfortable under the blankets and switched out the lamp. Lying back, she sighed and looked out her window into the surrounding woods.

'Will Kakashi trust me more if I get stronger?...why would Sasuke try to kill me?...'

Closing her eyes and drifting off, she missed the appearance of the orange masked man by mere seconds.

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><p><em><strong>I'm in shock at getting so many reviews! Thank you all so much for taking the time to leave one.<strong>_

_**Thanks for reading~**_

_**You should know the drill by now, but just for those who don't- please leave a review, I would really appreciate it~ no flames or just telling me everything you **__**think**__** is wrong with this fic.**_

_**Sakura-hime-sama**_


	8. Chapter 8

OMJ the last chapter finally put me over 20,000 words! I never expected to get this far. I can only thank everyone that reviewed or fav-ed this story, I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH *cue emotional babble* TTwTT

This chapter is dedicated to **Sasuke-KiraLover** and **Yuti-Chan** for being my 77th and 87th reviewers~ also for being such great people and continuing to review, like a lot of you do and I love you for it!

**Yuti-chan**- I know~ I wish I got a letter with a smiling lollipop on it! Thank you~ I just loved all your reviews!

**Rawrzyyz-** your review amuses me and my Madara plushie extremely. I can just see that going over so well~

**Angel897**- :D thanks for reviewing again~ and thank you for the encouragement!

**ObitoU. 4evrYoung**- I only update fast because I have NOOOO life off ff .net~ so no need to be envious. Thanks for mentioning that! I just felt like I needed to give her team a little screen time.

**Lucia Tsukiyomi-hime**- here it is~

**DarkIkari8520-** nice to see you again! I have read a lot of fic's like that and felt that I needed to make mine a little different. The same goes for their bonding really: they need time to get to know each other; Sakura is just a little desperate for companionship at the moment leading her to be drawn to Tobi. His side is a little harder to write though coz I have to find ways for him to familiarise himself with Sakura... and not seem like a pedo.

**Sasuke-KiraLover**- thanks for reviewing again~ I love repetitive reviewers~. That's what I'm aiming for at the moment, for you all to see things from her side of the story. She's a lonely girl with a kind of neglectful team, and Madara just loves messing up anything that's related to Konoha. Ha ha I don't like them that much right now either- Kakashi is oblivious as to how to deal with an almost teen girl, Naruto is just downright oblivious to anything that doesn't relate to his rival Sasuke or ramen, and Sasuke is just being...well..Sasuke. I really couldn't decide what to make that note say~ glad you found it interesting.

**Dancing Breeze**- thank you! Here's your update, I hope you like it!

**Glow593-**you spoil me~

**HAPPY GLOWING CRYSTAL**-Yeppers, I had it started just before I posted the other one. I just finished working the kinks out of the 'dream' plot; you'll find it very interesting when the story gets to it. I don't want to power Sakura up to much yet, YET being the key word there. They just met so Madara can't teach her too much without it seeming suspicious, so I put in that little bit with Tsunami just to give her SOME progress. Don't worry though, as soon as the chuunin exams arrive she has a legit reason to want to become stronger.

**Goddess of WAR1Keeper of TIME**-OMJ, here they are~

**Sakuraflowerstar-**I really don't want to rush things too much, it would seem more natural if they bonded more first and Madara would seem like a pedo if he started liking her now... not to say he won't start getting random feelings concerning her sometime in the future *hint hint* thanks for saying it's awesome! YOU'RE awesome!

**On with the show~**

**Whoever gets the review number I'm thinking of now gets next chapter dedicated to them~**

****UPDATED: 3/09/13 ****

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><p><em>She silently envied the other girls, and knew she could never bond with her team like they had.<em>

'_It's not FAIR!' she silently screamed in her mind, before taking a deep calming breath and relaxing as much as she could. Changing into her sleep clothes, Sakura got herself comfortable under the blankets and switched out the lamp. Lying back, she sighed and looked out her window into the surrounding woods._

'_Will Kakashi trust me more if I get stronger?...why would Sasuke try to kill me?...'_

_Closing her eyes and drifting off, she missed the appearance of the orange masked man by mere seconds._

Madara's P.O.V.

'Training to be more graceful Blossom? You'll need more than just a few hours with a civilian housewife.' he thought amusedly while scanning her room and making his way in through the unlocked window.

Her team had gone back to training, the boys just now making it to the top. About time too, he had expected better from little Sasuke. Madara could already tell that the Kyuubi brat would overdo himself and have to stay back in the morning, too bad it was the day Zabuza would act.

Keeping an ear out for information on Zabuza and his subordinates plan was ridiculously easy for Madara; it had only taken him one trip to Gato's office and a simple genjutsu to find all the details. Turning his focus outward, he made his way over to her pack, taking a seat on the floor next to her bed and rummaging around a bit. Pulling out her spare equipment, he lifted her kunai holster off the bed side table and began refilling it.

'Just to in case the Blossom forgets in the morning.' He kept telling himself as he started placing her extra shuriken into the correct place. He really couldn't find another reason for the urge he had to check on his little pink genin, so he could only summarize it as wanting to make sure she was prepared. After all, he couldn't have her dying yet; he wouldn't allow her to ruin his plan like that!

Releasing a low sigh, he slid her pack back to its previous position and lent back against the wall. He was going to have to keep an eye on his tool tomorrow; he could only guess how she would handle being confronted by the two rogue nin once again. From what he had seen so far she was a very emotional person, and that could work in his favour or completely ruin his plan.

There were so many variables surrounding the pinkette (and kami knew Madara did NOT like chances for his well laid plans to go to ruin) that he had to make sure all possible outcomes were covered, her emotional and somewhat reclusive nature could either help him with distancing her from the team or it could draw her closer to them for comfort. If they got the chance to comfort her then his whole plot to draw her from the village would be ruined.

'Tomorrow shall be the deciding factor then. After the day is through, will she seek out her team or me for the comfort she shall crave?' he silently inquired to the surrounding room.

With another sigh, he ran a hand through his hair tangling it slightly, before standing and making his way to the window once more. Jumping onto the ledge he looked over at the sleeping blossoms face, smirking slightly at her unconscious murmur before leaping deftly onto the nearest tree branch and making his way towards the half built bridge.

It took only a few minutes for him to arrive; slipping silently around her exhausted and oblivious teammates was especially easy as he even took a few seconds to flick a small rock at the blonde's head. It was amusing and somewhat of an ego booster for him to see how low Konoha's standards for graduating shinobi had fallen, if only they had been smart enough to elect him Hokage. But he was aiming to fix that screw up sometime in the near future and make them realize how much better a choice he would have been.

Upon arrival at the bridge, he realised that someone else had decided to scout out the area before the battle tomorrow as well, the brown haired gender confused boy was inspecting one of the many empty crates as Madara appeared a few meters away, having decided on his best course of action.

"You're attacking this bridge tomorrow." Madara stated as easily as one would comment on the weather, letting go of his 'Tobi' persona entirely. Watching the boy whip around and sling a few senbon at him, Madara calmly turned himself intangible, allowing them to pass through his head and chest harmlessly. Tilting his head to the side and amusedly looking the boy in the eye, he cast a silent genjutsu that would cause paralysis from the neck down.

"What have you done to me" the boy demanded while obviously attempting to move. "Who are you, what business do you have with me!"

"Who I am is of no concern, but tomorrow you shall be facing off against team 7 and I have decided to make my own life slightly easier. You understand how useless a broken tool is, yes? Therefore I shall request that you don't touch mine. Leave the pink haired one alone, her team are fair game but if she is damaged in any way shape or form I will hunt you and your master down." Madara stated soullessly staring at the boy, his sharingan spinning slowly.

"She...serves you like I do Zabuza?" Haku wondered aloud, still tense and waiting for an attack even though he couldn't move his body. At Madara's light nod Haku sighed, looking anywhere but his opponent's masked face. "I shall inform master Zabuza but it is ultimately his decision whether she will be targeted or not. But do not expect any favours from him stranger; master Zabuza is not the kindest of men."

'Oh, just shut up and do what your told girly boy' Madara thought, slightly irritated with the young boy and his master. If they did target the pinkette he would put a stop to it, but he was sure that his warning had at least gotten through to the boy. Zabuza was nothing though, he was sure Hatake wouldn't allow the girl into the fight and would occupy the rouge mist nin until Gato arrived at least.

"Hn" was the only reply Haku received as Madara released the genjutsu and disappeared just as another set of senbon headed his way.

**Sakura's P****.****O****.****V****.**

Waking to Kakashi lightly tapping her head with his book, Sakura sat up and noticed that he was finally allowed to abandon the crutches he was given. With a slight nod at Kakashi she released a yawn and rubbed her eyes. 'Gah, it's too early for this kind of thing.' She thought silently.

"Morning sleepy head, Tsunami-san has your breakfast prepared on the table, Sasuke and I have already finished and I'm afraid that Naruto wore himself out too much yesterday and won't be joining us. Sasuke and I will be outside doing a little last minute training, just tell us when you're ready to go." Kakashi chirped happily as she got out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

"Ok sensei, I'll hurry so you don't have to wait long. Thanks for waking me." The last part was so thick with sarcasm that Sakura thought she might choke. 'Why didn't he wake me up earlier? I wanted to eat with them too..." her thoughts began to drift as she entered the bathroom and locked the door behind. Slumping against the sink she looked at the reflection in the mirror and sighed. Last night was just so weird; she could hardly remember her dream at all but could tell it was following the same pattern as the previous two.

But what she could remember had chills running down her spine as she stepped into the shower and began washing herself.

"_Naruto, Sasuke." The blurry Sakura acknowledged as said people appeared in front of her; they looked different again...slightly older by the looks of it. Sakura just watched now, not even trying to speak as she stood off to the side watching the 3 figures face each other._

"_Sakura." the older Sasuke said with a slight nod of his head as he drew his sword. Naruto just stood there with a conflicted expression painted on his face, looking at her with eyes so sad she had to stop herself from giving him a hug.(not that he would notice anyway~)_

"_I see you returned to Konoha. That's surprising, considering you were just trying to destroy it." She said with a slightly amused tone to her voice. It appeared that Naruto had finally snapped out of whatever daze he had been in as his eyes flickered red once again._

"_Sakura...I know we can help you, that you can still be saved! But you just have to let us!" He pleaded angrily as his eyes slowly turned back to blue once more._

"_I already told you Naruto, I will never believe anything that comes from your mouth again. Any chance of forgiv-"_

She couldn't remember any more from that point on until it picked up again later.

_The scene went black and skipped before continuing on at a different location._

"_STOP BEING SO __STUBBORN__ SAKURA!" Naruto yelled as he tried to grab the dodging pinkette. They were at a lake this time; Sasuke was nowhere in sight and it looked like it had just finished snowing._

"_WHEN WILL YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE__?!__" the girl screamed at him as she pulled out a kunai and tried to stab his chest. Bouncing back quickly__,__ Naruto __dodged__ and blocked it with his own; managing to disarm the wounded Sakura he quickly tackled and restrained her._

"_When YOU come back to Konoha and receive the pardon Tsunade and the elders promised to me." He said as calmly as he could while hitting the pressure point on her neck and sighing. Getting up__,__ he slowly picked the bloody pinkette __off__ the ground and started running into the surrounding woods._

_The world began fading to black once more just as the orange and black blurred figure appeared in front of Naruto, blocking his path._

"_I'm afraid I can't let you do that."_

"So damn confusing." was her only comment as she stepped out of the shower.

Shaking herself off, Sakura grabbed a towel and proceeded to brush her hair before drying herself off and getting dressed. Entering her room once more she lifted her kunai holster and weapon pouch off the bedside table, shaking off the fact that they felt heavier, and put them on closely followed by her headband.

With a slightly tired sigh escaping her, Sakura made her way out of the room and down the stairs. Upon entering the living room she bid a bustling Tsunami good morning and started on her breakfast. She was so sick of fish!

'No, I'm SICK of these effing dreams!' she screeched in her head once she finished. Handing her plate to Tsunami as she passed by, she got up from her chair and stretched while looking around.

Spotting Tazuna by the front door she walked over and joined him.

"Morning Tazuna-san, how was your night?" she inquired as they wandered over to her teammate and sensei, who had stopped what they were doing and made their way over to join them.

"Eh, can't complain girly. Just wanna get this damned bridge finished so we can finally see some new faces around here, not that you all don't count" he joked lightly, obviously sensing her awkward state at her teams arrival.

"Ok, we're going to be helping out with the bridge a little today so make sure you keep out of the workers way." Kakashi stated lightly once they reached the village. Obviously he was in a good mood after getting rid of the 'evil demonic crutches' as he had repetitively called them.

**Kakashi's P****.****O****.****V****.**** (bet you weren't expecting that!)**

It felt strange for him to have a group of pre-teens following his every word once he had let them pass his test. This was his first team, he had often heard other jounin complain about having or recommend getting genin teams, and he was slightly shocked to find that he actually liked his. They reminded him of his own teammates so much that it was haunting sometimes.

He was aiming to be the same kind of sensei Minato was for him, kind, funny, friendly and always there to protect them if they couldn't protect themselves.

Sasuke was much like he was. The cold and calm one, the one that was only interested in his own power. But just like he himself had done, he was slowly but surely opening up to them.

Naruto was very similar to Obito. The fun loving trouble maker who would do **anything** for his team. He was the one that lit up the room with his smile and carefree attitude.

And Sakura, Sakura was so much like Rin that it scared him. The caring one with a bright personality and a mean right hook; the one that loved someone who wouldn't give her the time of day. He couldn't count the amount of times he's had to physically stop himself from calling her by the wrong name when she smiled at him, if it wasn't for the pink hair and green eyes he would have thought they were related. He couldn't help being slightly more protective of the pinkette than he was with the boys. The unknown fate of his own female teammate kept replaying in his mind every time he so much as thought of putting her in a situation that required blood to be drawn.

So, with that in mind, he had kept her participation in team spars and training to a minimum, preferring to have her watch the boys from beside him where he could keep an eye on her. They were way too rough for her to spar with, always sending each other to the hospital if given the chance. He had resolved to find her a sparring partner/mentor but kept putting it to the back of his mind when a candidate came up. He wanted to keep an eye on her for a little longer; with the boys taking up so much of his time he wouldn't be able to supervise her spars or training missions.

Meaning she could get hurt and he wouldn't know about it or be able to help her.

_Just like Rin._

He could tell that something had been bothering her lately though, another trait that she and Rin seemed to share, but he had to push the thought of confronting her about it to the back of his mind once they reached the bridge.

With a strangled cry Tazuna rushed to the fallen figure lying in the middle of the bridge. Kakashi watched Tazuna help the man as he struggled to stand, no life threatening injuries, by the looks of it he was just beaten badly.

"Who did this to you?" he asked as the man struggled past him, kunai already drawn and clutched in his hand. He motioned for Sasuke and Sakura to guard the bridge builder as the mist began to thicken. An icy laugh filled the area surrounding them as the man faded from view, shouting his answer.

"A-A Demon!"

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><p><em><strong>OMJ I can't believe so many people are reading this! Hello~ how are you?... sorry I'm tired~ he-he, I fell asleep at my computer half way through typing this, GAH my poor back!<strong>_

_**Just letting you know that I fixed up some of the chapters a little, made them a bit more readable and whatnot. I also added a tiny bit on 'Tobi' getting into a fight with his teammate during his explanation on why he quit ninja life~ ha ha. **_

_**Thanks for reading~**_

_**You should know the drill by now, but just for those who don't- please leave a review, I would really appreciate it~ no flames or just telling me everything you **__**think**__** is wrong with this fic.**_

_**Sakura-hime-sama**_


	9. Chapter 9

**YES! I can NOT believe this has gotten 100 reviews! I'm amazed...I really am.**

This chapter is dedicated to my dear 100th reviewer **Yawningneko****.**

**Chiryome-** thank you~

**Yawningneko**-thanks for the encouragement! You can't not fan girl over Tobi/Madara~ I'll try my hardest to keep you all entertained and happy with this fic!

**Timea**-your welcome~ ahhhh, the much anticipated chapter...I already know the perfect time for it to happen and everything...you'll just have to wait for it now~ I look forward to your reviews! I hope you like this chapter as well then!

**Goddess of WAR1Keeper of TIME**- haha yeah I was going to do something like that but kept running into said problem...oh well, I'll work it in some way. I don't think I'll give Sakura a kekkei genkai... and if I did I have no idea what?

**Rawezyyz-thaks**~ I really didn't know whether to put it in or not but decided to shine a little light on his side of things~...OHMIGOSHHHH! SEBBY-KUN PLUSHIE! *grabby hands at screen*

**Gaia-of-earth**-here's your update! I hope you like it; it's my first fight scene and I'm a little nervous...

**Obviously A Fangirl**- THANKYOU SO MUCH~ I was going to wait another day before finishing this but I got your review and couldn't help myself! It's hard making the characters somewhat believable in fan fiction...I'm glad I'm doing an ok job at it! Thanks for the encouragement!

**Sakuraflowerstar-**GAH, your flattering me to get updates aren't you?...well even if you aren't, its working *insert author with a growing ego here*

**HAPPY GLOWING CRYSTAL**-kufufufufuu, I had the same mental image when I re read it...dude I gotta draw that sometime...put him in an apron and all...maybe hair curlers. I can tell you now that the dreams won't end yet.

**Yuti-chan**-...hehehe *awkward moment* you're a mind reader aren't you! *insert shifty eyes here*

**Travagli1994**-thaks thanks and another big thanks~

**angel897**-always nice to hear from you!

**On with the show~**

I DONT OWN NARUTO!

**Whoever gets the review number I'm thinking of now gets next chapter dedicated to them~**

****UPDATED: 3/09/13 ****

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><p>"<em>Who did this to you?" he asked as the man struggled past him, kunai already drawn and clutched in his hand. He motioned for Sasuke and Sakura to guard the bridge builder as the mist began to thicken<em>_.__A__n icy laugh filled the area surrounding them as the man faded from view, shouting his answer._

"_A-A Demon!" _

"This mist..." Kakashi muttered mostly to himself, but just loud enough for Sakura to hear as she and Sasuke took their positions on either side of Tazuna with kunai drawn and at the ready.

"I knew he was still alive! He just couldn't wait for round two." her sensei stated loud enough for them all to hear and she could tell Tazuna had begun swallowing nervously from his position at her left.

'He's here!' she thought frantically to herself before taking a deep calming breath and rising her kunai slightly more.

"Kakashi-sensei, its Zabuza, isn't it!" she questioned as calmly as she could as the four of them backed closer to one another, each keeping an eye out for the slightest of movements that could alert them to their attackers position. She could tell it was Zabuza as she would never forget his laugh, he was the first real threat they had ever faced and she would be damned if she let her herself forget about it. She could feel Sasuke quivering slightly behind her; years of stalking him had made her alert to his every move.

"Sorry I kept you waiting Kakashi. I see you've still got those brats with you...that one's still trembling, pitiful." Came Zabuza's gravelly voice from all around them. She could feel chakra surrounding their group and her eyes widened as they suddenly became surrounded by water clones.

Hearing Sasuke mutter something from behind her she turned her attention towards him, still not taking her eyes off the multiple water clones.

"I'm trembling with...excitement" he effortlessly stated, drawing a slightly shocked breath from the pinkette.

"He's all yours Sasuke." Kakashi said in his normal easy going voice, making the pinkette's eye twitch minutely with disbelief.

'How can he just act like nothing's wrong!?'

Turning her head just in time to witness one of the Zabuza's draw back his sword and swing at the Uchiha, she could only watch soundlessly as Sasuke took a step forward and disappeared. Sakura could hear multiple hits taking place around them before he appeared back in his original place, the hand holding his kunai lowered as water exploded in a circle around them.

"oOOOOo, so you could see they were water clones huh?" came Zabuza's voice again, this time from a good distance in front of Sasuke. They watched in silence as he appeared out of thin air and stood calmly next to the same masked hunter nin from the time before. "The brats improving." He acknowledged. "Looks like you've got a rival Haku."

Sakura had turned around, still in her assigned position, at the sound of his voice. She felt Kakashi tense slightly at his sudden appearance and couldn't help her own shudder when she felt his chakra.

"So it seems." the boy, who was now known as Haku, replied in an emotionless voice as both groups stared each other down. Kakashi was the first to break the silence as he turned more towards the rouged direction.

"Well, well...so I had it right. It was all an act." He taunted lightly. Tazuna was the first to question him on his statement as Sasuke and Sakura stood in their places, refusing to move an inch. "With a cute little mask~" Kakashi sang slightly in reply, Sakura was shocked to see him stand from his stance slightly and move to the spot next to Sasuke, eyes never leaving the rouges for a second. The pinkette stepped forward and slightly put herself in front of the immobile Tazuna, she could see that this was all too much for him, the high chakra signatures in the area were getting to him already.

"Big phoney, ha." Sasuke followed their sensei's lead and taunted their enemy as Tazuna finally decided to voice his thoughts.

"So I guess all that about being a tracker ninja protecting his village was just a bunch of bull!" Sakura decided to stay silent as she observed the duo, both looking deadly and strong as they stood their ground against the larger group.

"They look pretty chummy to me, I'd say they've been pulling scams like that for a LONG time." Kakashi added as Sakura saw her sensei move slightly closer to her position. Still silent, she decided against joining in; preferring to leave the taunting to her teammates. Even in the heat of battle she doubted she could bring herself to taunt anyone but Ino, her recently discussed childhood was a deciding factor in this decision.

"That's it, I'm taking him out." Sasuke finally announced, staring at Haku from what she could see. They had never been close, but she had always known of his thirst for power. He trained alone for hours on end, learnt every jutsu he could find and sparred relentlessly with Kakashi and Naruto. She often doubted if she was even on his radar, she had always tried to catch his eye without success and only got his attention momentarily when she brought up jutsu she knew. "Who does he think he's fooling, hiding behind that mask like some sort of clown."

But now wasn't the time to dwell on thoughts like that.

Zabuza and Haku were discussing something. She could see from their slight movements that it was not just friendly conversation so she griped the kunai tighter and, with great restraint, only flinched slightly when Haku darted towards them spinning rapidly.

The sound of clashing metal filled the bridge as Sasuke intercepted him, meeting his movements almost perfectly.

She once again felt that dreaded jealousy fill her chest.

"Sakura, cover Tazuna and stay close to me! Let Sasuke handle this." Kakashi said, his voice filled with authority as she shifted to stand in front of Tazuna completely. Pushing aside her jealousy, she replied with a slight acknowledgment and nodded. She watched, trembling from her adrenaline rush, as Haku and Sasuke parried each other's blows, neither giving in as their hasty movements turned to blurs.

Sakura watched in amazement as Haku suddenly began making signs with only one hand. 'I have to learn how to do that!' she thought incredulously as Haku stomped on the water surrounding the duo and it began to rise, forming thousands of floating senbon that darted inwards at the two.

"Sasuke!" she called out, worried for her teammate. It didn't matter if they had neglected her, she didn't want to see any of them die! But she found her worry was unnecessary as they both managed to get out of the way, Haku having jumped backwards and Sasuke having jumped into the air using chakra. She watched with baited breath as Sasuke started slinging shuriken towards his opponent. Suddenly appearing behind Haku they began exchanging blows once more, leaving Sakura to watch in awe at their graceful yet deadly moves as Sasuke managed to kick Haku back towards Zabuza.

'Their...so strong. I could never measure up to that!' she thought before glancing back at Tazuna and halting her thoughts once more. 'I have to protect him; I can't let myself become distracted! Kakashi gave me this job for a reason, and I know that I'm no match for Haku or Zabuza so I shouldn't get in my team's way.' She realized, looking at her sensei dejectedly as he and Zabuza tried to stare each other down.

"You made a big mistake in insulting these ninja and calling them brats. That's just guaranteed to bring out Sasuke's attitude and he's the best young fighter of the hidden leaf village, and Sakura here is our sharpest mind... last but not least, our number one hyperactive knucklehead ninja is Naruto Uzumaki."

'...I'm their sharpest mind? But Kakashi's the one who realized Zabuza was still alive and planning to attack, I'm not THAT smart!...he must just want to stall Zabuza.' Fighting off tears of frustration, she looked over to Sasuke, just to make sure he was ok.

It had nothing to do with keeping her mind off her sensei's words, nothing at all.

Who was she kidding, really?

"HAKU, if we keep going like this we'll be the victims instead of them. GET ON WITH IT!" Zabuza demanded as the masked boy rose to his feet with a nod.

"Right." Suddenly chakra seemed to be seeping off the boy and Sakura couldn't even stutter out a remark. "I'm sorry it's come to this." The air around them seemed to suddenly drop in temperature; Sakura had to brace Tazuna a little when he started rocking backwards and threatening to collapse as Haku started on his hand signs once more.

'Why isn't Kakashi helping Sasuke?' she thought for a moment before realizing that he still had his eyes locked with Zabuza's.

When large, flat sheets of ice seemed to form, surrounding Sasuke and Haku, she just didn't know what to think. What kind of jutsu was this? She had never even heard of one similar to it before, but she clued in the second she heard Haku's next shout.

"Secret jutsu! Crystal ice mirrors!"

And seemingly melt into one of the sheets, causing a perfectly flat image of himself to appear on the mirror at the same time.

A kekkei genkai.

She knew all about them from the academy, being the only one to listen to their sensei had its perks sometimes.

She could only look on helplessly as Sasuke was surrounded and Kakashi finally made a break towards him only to be cut off by Zabuza. She felt so useless, she may have been protecting the bridge builder but he didn't need protecting right now, her teammate did!

"If you enter this fight, you fight me!" Zabuza announced "your boy has no chance against that jutsu, he's finished." Leaving Sakura filled with dread, standing there with nothing she could do but watch as Sasuke suddenly began to get hit with senbon from all sides; making his kunai fly from his hand and land somewhere near her feet. "Just try to help him and I'll kill the other two in a heartbeat!

Struggling to obey her sensei's order and not run over to aid Sasuke inside the mirrors, she did the next thing she could think off.

"I'm...sorry, but I can't leave him like that" she said to Tazuna as she started forward in a run, picking up Sasuke's discarded kunai along the way. With a high, chakra filled jump she flung the kunai towards Sasuke's weaponless form. Watching as Sasuke noticed her movements, she could only yell out in disbelief as it was caught by Haku before it could even get past the mirrors and Sasuke collapsed to his hands and knees.

"Damn! He caught it." she exclaimed as she landed back on the ground only to gasp in surprise as a shuriken flew past and caught Haku's form, making him fall from the mirror and land face down on the ground.

What she didn't notice during all this though, was how she had caught Zabuza's attention.

As Haku slowly stood again there was a small explosion of smoke, revealing a very familiar figure once it cleared.

"Number one hyper active knucklehead ninja." she heard Haku mutter softly.

"NARUTO UZUMAKI IS HERE, YEAH BELIEVE IT!" the blond said posing slightly, revealing his grinning face.

"Naruto." she breathed out slightly in relief as she started making her way towards Tazuna, intent on protecting him again. Only to turn back when she heard Kakashi's yell.

"NARUTO MOVE!" following this was a clang of metal as Haku threw a hand full of senbon to stop Zabuza's shuriken, she watched in slight disbelief as they fell to the ground.

"This is a battle not a talent show! Don't let your opponent see your jutsu!" Kakashi said in a harsh voice as he could only watch. "The shinobi's art is deception, always keep the enemy guessing!" she tuned out the rest of his speech as Naruto started to yell. Feeling eyes watching her she started looking around only to freeze when her gaze locked with Zabuza's, sighing in relief as he tore his gaze towards Haku.

"HAKU! What are you doing?" he questioned in a deadly voice.

"Zabuza, this boy, let me fight him my own way. Please?" he asked as Naruto started with his taunts.

"Bring it on~!" he sang out.

With nothing else she could do, Sakura returned to the bridge builder's side and could only watch as her teammates were beaten to the ground when Naruto snuck inside the dome of mirrors. She could also see Zabuza and Kakashi beginning their fight off to the side.

She was startled by a loud thump that sounded from behind her.

Turning sharply with her kunai raised she was shocked to see Tazuna slumped on the ground, leaning down and checking him frantically, she was greatly relieved to find he was just unconscious; probably from the high chakra signatures battling around them. With a sigh, she gently pulled him away from the fighting and further up the bridge before kneeling slightly and picking up her dropped kunai.

As much as she was glad Tazuna was safe, she wished he was at least awake to keep her company.

She wouldn't admit it, but she was scared.

She didn't want to be alone at a time like this.

Startled when the sound of the surrounding fights faded drastically, she looked up and screamed with everything she had.

"So you're the one I was warned to leave be? Huh, you don't look like you could do much, girl." The gravelly voice of Zabuza filled her ears as he stood not even a meter away from her kneeling form.

"W-what are you talking about? Your-your meant to be fighting Kakashi-sensei! He'll be over to help me any second now!" she exclaimed as she shuffled back a few feet, desperately trying to put distance between them.

"Heh you're pathetic, have you not noticed the genjutsu surrounding this area?" He said, taking a few steps closer and suddenly kicking out at her. She wasn't lucky enough to dodge as she skipped back a few meters and landed hard. She also didn't have time to dodge any of the shuriken that followed close behind, leaving her littered in cuts. Getting up slowly and crouching in her academy taught stance, she was trembling heavily as he slowly began to advance again. "Haku and I were warned against touching you today, your master must not have much faith in your skill."

With eyes widening as she took in his startling words, Sakura stood up slightly straighter.

'What is he talking about?'

"I-I don't know what your on about, I don't have a master! I'm just here with my team!"

"I can see he at least taught you to lie well. What I DONT see is why Haku even brought this to my attention, you're nothing but a nuisance." He said while turning away from her and starting towards Tazuna's unconscious form. Gathering her wits, Sakura darted in front of him with a yell, spreading her arms and blocking his path while still shaking with fear. "Move pest."

"You're not getting to Tazuna! I may not be much, but I can slow you down long enough for Kakashi to notice something's wrong!" she said determinately, fear laced her voice but she spoke clearly as she stood between Zabuza and his prey.

"You're brave, I'll give you that much. But bravery will only get you so far in our line of work, can you back up your big words, girl?" Zabuza asked as he suddenly pulled his sword off his back and took a swing at her, repeating the action when she was just able to dodge and escape with a few minor cuts.

Sakura knew that she had no chance of winning against him, but she had to protect Tazuna, just like Kakashi had told her to.

With a wild lunge she managed to dart off to the side, leading Zabuza away from Tazuna. After digging into her holster she drew a handful of kunai and swung them at him. Zabuza jumped back gracefully and without so much as a sweat he flung his sword towards her weapon less form. With a slight gasp, Sakura burst into smoke and disappeared.

"A clone? When did she- ah, smart girl" he praised when he realised she was using the thick mist for cover unlike the other two Konoha brats. "But did you really think you could beat me at my own game? You're not the first to try hiding from me, and you won't be the last." He said as he turned sharply and flung a kunai at the advancing Sakura, watching as she turned to smoke once more.

Calmly walking over to his discarded sword, he watched as the mist moved slightly to his right and was mildly shocked to notice the fist heading towards his face. Grabbing the offending limb, he gave a harsh tug and almost laughed when it turned to smoke as well. With another slight laugh he threw a kunai at the next advancing pinkette and was shocked when this one didn't turn to smoke when it hit her arm, suddenly the kunai in her hand tore into his throat and with a sickening gargle he turned to water once more.

The battered pinkette let out a small breath as she looked around for the real Zabuza, her adrenaline filled form shaking heavily as she turned.

Only to be stopped by a hand reaching out of the surrounding mist and grasping a fist full of her hair, making Sakura fall to her knees with a small scream.

'Oh, no!' she thought to herself, desperately trying to pull away but stopping at the pain it caused her head.

"Smart girl, and here you had me thinking you were useless!" his gravelly voice floated out from behind her as he yanked harshly on her hair once more making Sakura gasp in pain when she went to make the correct hand signs to escape.

All Sakura could do was whimper a curse in reply.

"Your sensei obviously doesn't give you enough credit; I think you would have been the better choice to fight Haku. You're not as strong as your teammates, but you use what you have to your advantage. Plus, Haku has a thing about not killing innocents and I don't think they can get much more innocent looking than you." He said as he lent down next to her, her hair still in his tight hold.

"W-wh-" was all she could get out as tears started to fill her eyes, but she pushed them back and focused on why she got herself into this situation in the first place.

'To protect Tazuna, protect him so I can show them that I'm useful, that I can handle myself just fine on my own! That I'm meant for this kind of life!'

"Ahhh, I know that look in your eyes girl. You want to prove yourself, nee? To your master? Your teammates? You have potential girl, if you play things just right you could end up like me one day" he said with a slight chuckle.

"I...already...told you...I DONT...have a...MASTER!" she exclaimed between pain filled winces as he tightened his hold. She had no idea what to do! He was talking about something she didn't know!

'I can't...let myself be like this anymore, I don't want to be weak and helpless' she realised as a thought hit her suddenly, startling her into action 'Well, I had short hair in my dreams and it didn't look too bad' With a determined glint to her eyes she slowly reached for her kunai holster, knowing he was watching her every move amusedly.

"You know that won't work right? I thought you were smarter than that." he said with fake disappointment lacing his voice, only to be shocked by her once more as she looked at him from the corner of her eye.

"I know." She said as she quickly reached behind her head and drew the kunai along just under his fisted grip, with a slight wince she sprang away from his form and held her weapon at the ready. She watched in confusion as he sat up laughing to himself, dropping his handful of pink hair slowly and watching it blow around in the wind.

"Girl, tell me your masters name. I could use a tool like you, willing to sacrifice anything for your goal. Give me his name and I'll buy you from him, you would work well with Haku and I, I can make you just like me one day. You didn't even stop to think about killing me before, and I know you didn't realise it was a water clone. You just tore my throat out without any hesitation!"

And the world went black for the pinkette as the masked man behind her hit the back of her neck.

**Madara's ****P.O.V.**

Reaching over, he deftly caught the now short haired pinkette before she landed and laid her on the ground to his side. Standing once more, he faced the water clone that only nodded at his entrance.

"So you're the girls master, Haku told me all about the little talk you had with him. I can now see why you wanted her spared; she will become a powerful ally if trained properly." The Zabuza commented before looking out through the genjutsu and at the scene that was playing out around the fallen Haku. "You aren't as intimidating as he made you out to be, with that stupid looking mask and all." he added after a short silence.

"Yes, I am the girls master and no, I have no interest in selling her to a dead man. I promised that you would pay if she was hurt but it looks like someone has already beaten me to it. May you rot in hell, scum." he said before teleporting onto one of the beams running across the top of the bridge.

He sat in silence and watched the scene below play out.

He watched as the Kyuubi cried at the rouge nin's fate, as the little Uchiha stumbled towards his teammates followed closely by a genjutsu Sakura and Tazuna, as the sensei looked at the pinkette quizzically before giving an alarmed shout.

And with Zabuza's death outside the genjutsu, it and his water clone melted away into nothing, alerting the pinkette's team to her actual location and condition.

As he watched from his post at the highest point of the bridges framework, Madara glared silently at her frantic sensei and teammates as they made a mad dash over to her beaten and bloody form. It was their fault the blossom was hurt and they would pay for it. No one was allowed to hurt his tool, except himself of course.

'You shall pay team 7, you've set my plans back enough as it is. I don't need you ruining this one too. Mark my words, one day you shall pay.'

And with one last look towards the pinkette's beaten and still form, he disappeared; plans for the next few days already forming in his mind.

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><p><em><strong>Be gentle, I know it sucked but that was my first real fight scene!<strong>_

_**Thanks for reading~**_

_**You should know the drill by now, but just for those who don't- please leave a review, I would really appreciate it~ no flames or just telling me everything you **__**think**__** is wrong with this fic.**_

_**Sakura-hime-sama**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**O.o...well shit! Last chapter got reviews quick! *insert happy grin* I'll thank you all again for taking the time to read this~ **_

_**30,000! I've never written anything this long in my life and I owe all the credit to you guys~**_

_DEDICATED TO __**sweetpinkcaramel**__ and __**Ketsueki No Kuki**__ for being my 108 and 110 reviewers! Never would have gotten this far without such kind readers~ every author needs reviewers, how else would we know if __we're__ doing any good?_

**Yuti-chan-**thank you~ it was so hard to write the fight scene -_-' ... I don't think he would either~

**Sinister Blossom**- here it is~ thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter as well.

**YawningNeko**- YAY! TOBI FOREVER! I'll keep it up, don't worry~

**Timea**- you really do spoil me! But I love it, praise makes me work faster, I've been typing this chapter for 6 hours straight trying to work out all the kinks! But your reviews make it worth the missed sleep!

**Angel897**- thanks again~

**2008roseelixir**- thank you so much for the congrats! I hope I catch people's attention, it's nice to know people read this story~ haha, yeah, I wanted to speed up her progress and get her in the mix of things. Glad you liked it! It's nice to hear from you again and THANKS FOR THE VIRTUAL ICE CREAM~ IT'S MY FAV!

**Chiryome**- never was the best at spelling ** sweat drop** but I try my hardest and that's all I can do~

**Glow593**-I thinks possessive Madara is HOT~... But that's me *nose bleed* Here's your chapter.

**Goddess of WAR1Keeper of TIME- **thanks, that's a really good idea...I could possibly work it in as a factor in her perfect chakra control... ^^

**HAPPY GLOWING CRYSTAL-** you'll just have to wait and find out~ I really wanted to get her involved with the fights, thanks~

**Humanitiesdownfall**- thanks for the tip! I'll look into it before I do another fight scene, thanks for the feedback!

**Ketsueki No Kuki**- your facts are true! Madara should never have a shirt and be made to strip in the anime...I'm sure not too many people would complain... Thanks for the review~~~

**TeenageCrisis**- hehehe I know~~~ I should have added an evil kufufufufufufuuu at the end to see people's reactions! Yay's for Muruko's laugh!

**Sweetpinkcaramel**- thanks for the review and the congrats! Here's the chapter~

**Rawrzyyz-** hehehe thanks~ D: I DIDNT MEAN to scare sebby-kun *hands cat plushie* take this as a sorry~ poooor little sebby...

**Lucia Tsukiyomi-hime**- thanks, I'll try to get better...I just need to practice, might do a few one shots and give it a try.

**Miss Chocolate**- thank you~ I'll try to sort them out a little *sweat drop* I like putting twists into my stories~ especially if I've never read one like it before!

**On with the show~**

**I don't own Naruto~**

_**Whoever gets the review number I'm thinking of now gets next chapter dedicated to them~**_

_****UPDATED: 3/09/13 ****_

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><p><em>She was woken up by the feeling of the hot sun belting down onto her face<em>_.__L__ooking around__,__ Sakura's eyes widened._

_She was standing on an elevated platform in the middle of what looked like Konoha, surrounded on all sides by crowds of cheering __civilians__ and ninja alike. There was a commotion taking place right in front of the stage that caught her attention, Naruto struggled against a group of people similar in age that __were__ restraining him and shouting at him to calm down, she could see the red in his tear filled eyes from where she stood. _

'_Is this...another dream?' she asked herself as a ringing sound started in her ears, forcing her to shake her head slightly. 'It's never seemed so real before' her awed thoughts were cut off by a loud__,__ muffled yell._

'_Naruto, __what's__ wrong?' she thought__,__ looking into his eyes as tears gathered in her own__.__ Naruto was too cheerful a person to be seen that sad, something really bad must be happening. She watched as his struggles increased at the sight of her sad__,__ tear-filled eyes, red chakra gathering lazily at his feet. His lips __were__ moving but she just couldn't make out anything he was trying to scream at her, still fighting desperately against his companions. _

_It was then that she realized he was staring straight at her._

_She suddenly felt someone seize her arms and roughly push her into a kneeling position from behind. 'What's going on?' Sakura thought__,__ looking down at herself__.__S__he was shocked to see that she was in the older Sakura's body! There __were__ shackles on her arms and legs along with a bad tasting__,__ dirty gag in her mouth._

_How could she not have noticed this earlier?_

_Her eyes widened as the gag was roughly pulled out of her mouth, saliva and tears sticking her dirty pink hair to her dirt covered cheeks and face. Her arms __were__ forced further behind her back as some of her now rag like clothing tore slightly._

"_Any last words traitor?" the cruel voice of the person restraining her said from behind as the sound of a katana being drawn slowly filled the now quiet village centre._

_She suddenly lost control of her own body as her head turned to face Naruto and trembling__,__ anger filled words started spilling from her mouth._

_What was happening?_

"_This is your entire fault. I blame you for the pain I endured, the humiliation I suffered this last month, for the loss of my best friend..." she said__,__ her voice trembling horribly at the mention of the masked man. "I blame you for it all, I'll never forgive you! Not in this life or the next! I won't let you kill him again, even if it takes me eternity and destroys my soul soon after, I'll find a way to make you pay and save him! I won't let this happen again!" and with that she let out a slightly insane sounding laugh, eventually being cut off by the unknown man behind her._

_Control of her body was gained again and tears started freely running down her face as a short flash back played for her eyes only..._

"_**We killed him Sakura**__**.**__**" **__**The**__** tired**__**,**__** grime covered Naruto said as he took a step closer to the equally ragged looking pinkette and watched as she suddenly halted her retreating steps, jerking her head around to face him instead of the surrounding forest.**_

"_**W-what did you just say?" she forced out, body turning to face him once more as her eyes suddenly clouded over.**_

"_**He's dead. Me, Sasuke**__**,**__** and **__**K**__**akashi killed the bastard, now you can come home again Sakura, he can't poison your mind anymore**__**.**__**" he repeated as he slowly walked closer and grabbed both **__**of**__** her dirty arms, clasping them tightly as he shook her slightly. "We can be a team again now, I can be your best friend again and you can get with teme if you really want to, Kakashi even said he would forgive you for almost cutting his arm off last time! We did it for your own good Sakura, he was a. VERY. Bad. Man!" he added **__**whilst**__** speaking to her shaking form as one would **__**to**__** a lost child, watching as he pulled her now unresponsive form against himself and gave her a hug, Sakura caught sight of her eyes.**_

_**And saw the fire in them suddenly die and the vivid green turn lifeless.**_

_**She **__**too,**__** shared the same sort of feeling as her other self muttered a simple name**__**.**_

"_**Tobi"**_

'_Naruto, Kakashi__,__ and Sasuke...killed Tobi?' her tear streaked face looked at Naruto's form once more and she felt something she had never before experienced in her short life. Bloodlust, the desire to kill and maim, it felt so __foreign__ yet familiar to the pinkette, she just couldn't grasp as to why. 'They...killed Tobi...'_

"_Enough of this nonsense__;__just__ kill her already__.__" the man ordered as he took a step away from the kneeling form of the pinkette and motioned for the ANBU next to him to __finish__ the job._

_As the sword pierced the unsuspecting pinkette's heart from behind__,__ she could only manage one last pain filled cry directed at Naruto._

"_Why__?__!"_

With a pained gasp escaping her lips Sakura flung herself into a sitting position, paying no heed to her now bandaged form or her short hair. She curled up into a ball and began rocking back and forth slowly, hoping to calm her shakes even a little as her door burst open revealing the alert figure of her sensei. Raising her head a little, she watched with tear filled eyes as he slowly surveyed the room and put his kunai away. She was shocked again by the foreign feeling that sprung up in her chest at the sight of him.

_Contempt_

Reaching up with shaking hands, she whipped the back of her hands across her stinging cheeks and turned her bright green eyes towards the door just in time to see Sasuke's retreating form. At the sight of him, her chest tightened once more and she let out another sob at the rush of emotions that followed.

_Anger, loathing, fear, misery._

All followed by a familiar sharp pain in the left side of her chest.

_'Was Sasuke...the one that killed me?'_ she questioned herself frantically, before turning her attention to Kakashi as he sat on the edge of her bed and ruffled her hair slightly with an awkwardly relieved air surrounding him.

"Are you ok?" he questioned "Did you have a nightmare?" at this she nodded slightly before replying in a slightly cracking voice, hiding her face in her bandaged arms.

"Yeah...thank you for checking on me ...but could you please leave? I don't want to talk about it right now." she said while shifting in the bed slightly, pulling the blankets a little higher to fight off the chilly night air. She saw Kakashi give a slightly relieved sigh and nod, before patting her head one more time and leaving her room.

She was relieved to finally be alone as she lay back onto her pillows. Staring straight up at the ceiling, she knew without a doubt that there wouldn't be getting any more sleep tonight.

_'They aren't just dreams; they seem more like...memories?'_

**Madara's ****P.O.V.**

He hated being out of the loop.

And that's why he was currently beating a new clearing into the forest near Zabuza's old hideout.

Imagining the trees were actually the male members of team 7.

With another feral sounding growl he loped his kusarigama (chain-sickle) at another tree, his hair flying around his face wildly as he jumped back and gave a sharp yank, watching in contempt as it splintered and broke in half. Leaping out of the way he walked back over to his discarded mask and sat next to it with a sigh. Running a hand roughly through his hair and muttering angrily under his breath, Madara leant back against one of the still remaining trees and turned his red glare at the sky.

He was really starting to despise the male members of team 7.

_'I wonder how the blossom's doing.'_

It had been 2 days since he had been forced to save his tool from Zabuza's clutches, maybe not save, but it was close enough in his books. He had wanted to check on the blossom to see if he could continue with his plan, only to find that damn Hatake staked out in the corner of her room and twitching at any chakra signal in the area, good thing he knew how to hide his properly then. That damned man was acting like an over protective mother hen, doting on her unconscious form and tucking her in every five minutes. The only information he could find from his little visits was that she had yet to wake up, which was just fine with him, it meant that her team had yet to have a chance to comfort her.

All he had to do was wait for that damned Kakashi to leave for awhile, and then Tobi could finally visit the little pinkette.

Honestly, he could say that he had gotten slightly used to her presence. It was getting boring again without her around, and he was shocked that it had taken a day to figure out how to occupy himself with her team. Tormenting the blond by stealing his things and hiding them with little Sasuke's bag had gone over well for him. He didn't know the blond's voice could reach such a high pitch.

With another glare he stood from the ground, taking his beloved orange mask along with him, and started towards the bridge builder's house. Jumping onto a high branch he fastened his mask back in place and sprang forward slowly, taking time to cast a quick katon at the old hideout on his way past.

It didn't matter that he was dead; Madara still felt like the bastard owed him for damaging his little blossom. But he could put that aside for now because he felt the slight weight that had been settled in his chest for the past two days suddenly lighten at the thought of finally seeing the pinkette.

This would be his only chance to speak to her until she arrived back in Konoha.

Kakashi and the brats were helping to finish the bridge tody.

**Sakura's ****P.O.V.**

She was right.

She couldn't even rest without seeing HER OWN dead green eyes staring back into her bright ones.

She sat up from the bed and looked out the window at the rising sun. With a tired sigh, she gave a slight stretch and winced. She had forgotten about the healing cuts and bruises that littered her body, kind of stupid when her body was covered in enough bandages to make her look like a mummy. Kakashi had stopped by just before to inform her that Tazuna and her team were going to work on the bridge while Tsunami and Inari went shopping.

She was alone again.

And she really didn't like it.

The silence that filled the house once they all left was deafening, and it scared Sakura to no end.

It did nothing but remind her of the time she spent with the demon of the mist, when he had threatened her, the way he taunted and tested her, the way he accused her of lying. Everything about the silence made her antsy and tense, like the room would suddenly fill with mist and his haunting laugh would follow. With a sigh, she ran a hand through her hair, opened the bathroom door and entered slowly. Walking over to the sink she looked into the mirror and took in her battered appearance, muttering in disbelief at the state of her hair.

Focusing so much at the task at hand, she failed to take note of the chakra entering the house through her room and enter in the bathroom.

She was glad that the short hair suited her; she pondered as she grabbed a kunai from her holster and raised it in front of her face to inspect it. Deeming it sharp enough, she moved it to the left side of her throat and was just about to start trimming her hair when the kunai was roughly snatched from her hand and thrown across the room.

"What the FUCK do you think you're doing Cherry?!"

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><p><em><strong>Thanks for reading~<strong>_

_**You should know the drill by now, but just for those who don't- please leave a review, I would really appreciate it~ no flames or just telling me everything you **__**think**__** is wrong with this fic.**_

_**Sakura-hime-sama**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry there's no dedication in this chapter, I'm sick at the moment and don't feel like typing too much more...blerg! I feel horrible!**

**But the show must go on!**

**I don't own Naruto**

**I'll just do more dedications and answer some questions in the next chapter...**

****UPDATED: 3/09/13 ****

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><p><em>Focusing so much on the task at hand<em>_,__ she failed to take note of the chakra entering the house through her bedroom window and enter in the bathroom._

_She was glad that the short hair suited her__;__ she pondered as she grabbed a kunai from her holster and raised it in front of her face to inspect it__.__D__eeming it sharp enough__,__ she moved it to the left side of her throat and was just about to start trimming her hair when the kunai was roughly snatched from her hand and thrown across the room._

"_What the FUCK do you think you're doing Cherry__?__!"_

It hadn't taken him more than a millisecond to react to the scene playing out before him.

He had made it to the house and decided it best to enter through her rooms window since he knew the layout from there; she hadn't been sleeping like last time so he presumed she would be freshening up. So, without a care in the world he had practically skipped down the hall (fitting his Tobi personality to the core) and looked through the open bathroom door.

Only to see his little Sakura standing in front of the mirror wearing her white knee-length sleeping gown and bringing a kunai to her throat.

Without a second to waste he had appeared off to her side, wrenched the kunai from her hand and hurled it into the furthest wall from where they stood. He didn't even put a thought into it when he grasped her shoulder and whirled her around to face him.

"Well?" he demanded as he glared at her still form, she had yet to answer and he was suddenly very impatient to hear her reasons.

Had she been under a genjutsu? No, he would have felt it.

Maybe Zabuza had hurt her more than he knew...it couldn't be that either, he wasn't that type of man.

Then what was it? Why was she trying to take her own life? Frustrated with his conflicting thoughts and conclusions he tightened his grip a little and shook her slightly.

"T-Tobi? What are...?" watching her pink lips stutter and twitch, he let out an audible sigh and leaned down so he was closer to Sakura's height.

"Cherry, why would you do that? I heard you were hurt and decided to check on you, only to find you holding _a kunai to your own throat_!" he said, voice raising at the end, completely forgetting his Tobi persona and pulling her slightly closer to his masked face, red glare still directed at her stunned form. Watching as her expression suddenly changed from shocked to enlightened, he could see the fear taking root in her eyes.

"I-I was just" she stuttered as she pulled back from him slightly "I was c-cutting my hair, it's all u-uneven and messy..." the pinkette trailed off and looked at his orange mask, only inches from her own face. Realisation began to take place in Madara's mind and he loosened his grip on her bandaged arms, letting his hands relax he still didn't straighten his posture.

"...if you were only fixing your hair...WHY aren't you using scissors?" he asked the girl, voice slightly exasperated. Her face coloured as she mumbled her reply, still eyeing him fearfully.

"I don't know where Tsunami-chan keeps them, and I didn't want to bother her." Seeing her fearful gaze, he gave another sigh and pulled her into a tight hug, ignoring her sudden tensing. 'Damn it! What am I going to do now?' he thought as he pulled the girl tighter against himself and put his head on top of hers.

"I'm sorry little blossom, I just panicked when I saw you with a knife to your throat. Can you please forgive me?" he asked as she struggled slightly. Releasing her, he watched as she huffed loudly and walked out of the bathroom and towards her own. With a slightly confused expression he followed closely, practically shadowing her every foot step.

Once she entered the bedroom; she ran a hand through her messy pink hair and sat on the corner of her bed. She continued to avoid looking in his direction, it was then he realized she was giving him the silent treatment.

'Just because you ignore your fears blossom, doesn't mean that they go away.' He amusedly thought to himself as he moved to kneel in front of her, pouting slightly behind his mask.

"Tobi is sorry Sakura; he didn't mean to scare you. He really really REALLY didn't! Tobi will apologise until Sakura says she forgives him. He doesn't want Sakura to be scared of him, please forgive me?" he begged as he grabbed her hands and pulled them to his masked cheek. Seeing her eyes lose a little of the fear present, he decided to take his apology a step further when she still refused to speak.

"Sakura~"

"..."

"Come on Sakura-chan~"

"..."

"Please forgive Tobi? Sakura?"

"... You spoke differently." She mumbled to him.

"Huh? What was that Cherry?" he questioned, wondering what she was talking about.

"You stopped talking in third person, your voice got deeper too..." Sakura clarified as he leaned a little closer to the pj wearing pinkette. Looking back, he realized that what she said was true, he had dropped his Tobi persona and just picked it back up.

'Such a sharp little genin, picking up on that when you were distressed.'

"Oh? Well Tobi sometimes stops talking like this when he doesn't pay attention, his real way of talking and voice sometimes scare people. Tobi is sorry if he scared you before." He quickly said as her head curiously turned to the side, her uneven, short pink hair falling in front of her face and covering her forehead.

"...I like your voice Tobi, you don't have to worry about scaring me. I faced off against a rouge nin just the other day!" she said, cheering up and talking to him again. Eyeing her bandaged form, his lips quirked upwards slightly.

'Oh, I know blossom, and you did a good job for an inexperienced genin.' He thought, a little pride seeping into his body as he recalled her tactics.

"REALLY? Is that why you're all bandaged up and not with your team at the bridge? Wow, Cherry must be strong!" Her face had turned from perky to doubtful by the time he finished, and he knew now was his time to strike.

**Sakura's ****P.O.V.**

'I'm not strong enough to help them. I only fought a water clone and its taking me days to heal. Sasuke fought for way longer and he's fine to help out now...why am I so useless?'

"I'm not strong Tobi." She said with a down hearted sigh. "I've already told you why I'm weak, please don't make me say it again." she pleaded, voice choking up slightly.

"But you ARE, Cherry-chan! Sure your teammates are strong, but you're improving at your own pace. Don't rush it too much, Tobi knows what it's like to feel weak in comparison to your team, you just need a little help starting off, Tobi is sure you will be even stronger than them when it really matters!" Tobi said with a small smile before standing up and dusting invisible lint off his shirt.

"What are you doing?" she said as he grabbed her hand and lead her down stairs into the living room, before pulling a seat out at the table and instructing her to sit. As she did so he followed suit on the opposite side, before reaching into his shirt and pulling out a sealed scroll that he placed it in between them.

"Sakura wants to get stronger right? Weeeeellllllllllll~ Tobi heard you were hurt and decided to come and visit, but its rude to not bring your friend a get well present! Tobi found this on his travels and decided that it would be of use to Cherry!" he said in a cheery voice, as he stopped her from reaching over to take it. "Buuut, you have to wait until Tobi leaves today, he doesn't like watching people open things he gets them. It embarrasses Tobi~"

"Well...ok I guess, are you sure I can have this?" she questioned as her vibrant green eyes left the scroll and moved back to his face.

"Tobi is sure; he wouldn't just give it to anybody. You're Tobi's best friend, so you deserve anything you want and since you wish to get stronger, Tobi will help you." He said with a note of finality that ended her line of questioning. With a flattered nod she relaxed again, finally feeling at ease for the first time in days.

They continued talking about random things for an hour or so, Sakura still dressed in her night gown with her messy hair and Tobi in his normal clothes and slightly windswept hair. Noticing her hair was once again getting in her way, she decided to ask for a little help.

"Tobi? Can you please help me fix my hair? I don't think I can do it on my own." And with that question he was out of his chair and standing behind her, kunai out and trimming the ends to even them a little. Although slightly shocked at the fast movement, she decided to let it go and just enjoy the time she had with her friend, best friend really.

And with that came the thoughts on her dreams.

"I've been having these really weird dreams lately Tobi" she finally said as he moved to another piece of her hair.

"What about Cherry? Its helps to talk about our dreams sometimes." he said in a slightly deeper tone, that she now knew was his real voice.

"It's like... I'm seeing my life play out. Kind of, I'm not exactly sure. But I keep seeing pieces of my life when I'm older, with Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi and "she didn't know why but she cut herself off there "it's like...I left or something and they're trying to get me back. And they do though Tobi, they bring me back to the village and I'm executed! I keep blaming them in my dream, I don't really know why but I feel it was their fault...does that make me a bad person? To blame them for something like that?" she inquired as she felt him rest his gloved hand on her shoulder.

"No, it doesn't. We have dreams for a reason Cherry, I'm not sure why your dreaming these things but I can only tell you that they're not real. Your safe here with me and I won't let them do anything like that to you Cherry." He said as she smiled slightly, missing the sudden gleam in his visible eye. She knew these weren't just normal dreams but was glad to talk about them slightly with Tobi, she just didn't know why she never mentioned his death at her team's hands.

'...oh well, it's probably nothing.' She thought as his hand lifted off her shoulder and he continued on her hair.

"All done~" he sang out as he took a step back and put his kunai away. "Tobi admits your hair looks better short, it makes Cherry look more like a ninja!"

With a blush she turned to the mirror across the room and looked at herself, she admitted that it really did suit her, she had her doubts but now that it was all trimmed and nice, it did look good.

"Thank you Tobi! It looks great!" she exclaimed and got up, giving him a hug and moving closer to the mirror to admire her new look.

"It's ok Cherry, anything for you~ but Tobi needs to be going soon." He stated as she turned to face him.

"Oh, ok. Are you going to visit again tomorrow before we leave?" she asked in an anxious voice, mood already dropping as the bright gleam dulled in her eyes a little.

"...Tobi won't be able to visit Cherry again until she's back in Konoha. Tobi has a few things to do but promises to visit before the end of the month! Awww don't look so down Cherry-chan, Tobi will see you again!" she could tell that he meant it; she knew that he was a nice person, so why did this seem like a bad idea?

"..ok Tobi, I'll see you then..." she muttered as he turned to the door, looking over his shoulder at her she could hear his sigh before his arms wrapped around her tightly.

"It's ok. I won't abandon you" he whispered to her softly "I already told you that, if you ever need me blossom, there's a way of contacting me written in the scroll." And with that, he let go of the stunned and blushing pinkette and was out the front door. She could hear his last comment as it closed and felt her determination grow with it.

"If your chakra reserves have grown enough by my next visit, I'll teach you something really useful, so Cherry better get to work~" then...he was gone.

The now silent pinkette looked at the closed door with a slight longing ' I wish Tobi didn't have to leave...I'll miss him' she thought sadly to herself before looking over to the scroll on the table. Gently picking it up, she broke the seal and unrolled the top a little, just enough to see the title.

'Chakra scalpel- a how to for dummies -by Tobi'

"Tobi!"

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><p><em><strong>As I said at the start; I'm not feeling too good right now, so I'm off to bed. I'll answer all the reviews in the next chapter, sorry if you really wanted to know something ^^'<strong>_

_**Thanks for reading~**_

_**I'll post the next chapter when I'm feeling better, I hope you all like it, and I'm sorry but I didn't get a chance to read it over, give me a few days and I'll fix up the problems I find and update the chapter...well, night~ sick people need rest...and sorry for the wait!**_

_**You should know the drill by now, but just for those who don't- please leave a review, I would really appreciate it~ no flames or just telling me everything you **__**think**__** is wrong with this fic.**_

_**Sakura-hime-sama**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry I've been away so long, I was made to do a short 6-7 week course *disgruntled frown* people have no respect for my personal time TT_TT. I like just sitting around and writing/drawing! I don't like being forced to do a course I've already completed! It's BORING!**

**Thanks for all the well wishes every one- I actually had to go to hospital, my asthma started playing up from the flu and I had an attack.~ they just made me feel so much better~**

**I also need glasses now...any brands you would recommend?**

**This chappy is dedicated to those who wished me well~~~~~**

TDI-Ryro-Eclares- thank you~ every review makes me happy~

Ravenwritingdesk-YOU! YOU MY GOOD SIR/MADAM make me HAPPY~~~

Ponya-Ponya-UPDATE~IS~HERE~! Thanks for the encouragement!

NotSoSuper-! UPDATE!

TIsTeD scitsofrinia-*looks around shiftily* ... not yet anyway...hehehehe~

Poisonivylullabies-THANK YOU so muuuuch! I was actually going to make this an itasaku but looked around and saw how little love Madara gets, one thing led to another...

Missymoo11-O.o really? Well, happy belated birthday! Thanks for the review.

Fangirl10045-haha, sorry it took so long to update. I'll try and make the chapters a little longer but I find that this length works well for me~

Kaname Hatake-you have no idea how often I hear that now.

Happy Little Girl- I hear ya~ thanks for taking the time to review again~

Imissu-I blame the course for the wait~ TT_TT

Plz- :) OK!

Sakura-Centric-I'm slowly working on powering her up, I just don't want to get too ahead of myself and overdo it. Thanks for the review~!

KasonSama-I know exactly how you feel! T_T hears the review!

Acetwolf94-thank you~~~

Gaia-of-earth-*shifty eyes* I'll send the team your way, make sure to back hand Kakashi once for me will ya?

IKillatfirstsight- thanks, I'm slowly fixing them when I have time. All will be explained in the near future~

Yuti-Chan-TT_TT thank you!

Sakarumi- update has arrived!

ZerOtodona- thank you for the praise~ you make me a very happy person~

Haruno temper-when is he not?...oh wait...don't answer that...

Teenagecrisis- he will, oh, he will! Thanks for the well wishes!

Goddess of WAR1Keeper of TIME- :D YAY~~~

Akira158- hehe, I don't think she felt comfortable talking about it to him...but it will come up eventually. Just read on to find out what her team thinks...

Travagli1994- thanks~ :)

Mirrorsdeath17-me too...me too...

HAPPY GLOWING CRYSTAL- :D thank you so much, I'm trying to make them bond a bit more, it wouldn't do to have the main characters strangers~

Jensniffer- thanks for pointing those out, I'll get right onto changing them.

Humanitiesdownfall- hehe, I want one too, if I find a few copies I'll send one your way~

Sweetpinkcaramel-thanks for the well wishes~ you made me feel better straight off the bat!

LadyNorth76- update has arrived!

Glow593-T_T thank you sooooooooo much.

Angel897-im glad you still like it~.

YawningNeko- did you send two messages? Oh well :D COOKIES! COOKIES!

Now that that's done, I don't own Naruto! No matter how much I would love to own Madara...maybe I could petition for it...

Oh well, ON WITH THE SHOW~

*Cue opening credits*

**UPDATED: 3/09/13 **

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><p><em><strong>The now silent pinkette looked at the closed door with a slight longing ' I wish Tobi didn't have to leave...I'll miss him' she thought sadly to herself before looking over to the scroll on the table<strong>__**.**__**G**__**ently picking it up**__**,**__** she broke the seal and unrolled the top a little, just enough to see the title.**_

'_**Chakra scalpel- a how to for dummies -by Tobi'**_

"_**Tobi!"**_

**Sakura's ****P.O.V.**

They had arrived back to Konoha on schedule; leaving wave had been an emotional moment for the three genin, each having gained something extremely personal from their mission.

Sasuke: the sharingan- a testament to his ambition, an invaluable tool in defeating his brother.

Naruto: acceptance- something he found he could never live without, he now had a whole village in wave hailing him a hero, he was one step closer to being Hokage!

Sakura: she had found friendship-someone to care about, someone who would help her when she needed it...someone who she might never see again.

The trip back had been very boring, nothing of interest happening besides the many fights Naruto and Sasuke had gotten into.

She was lonely already.

Naruto and Sasuke had taken to walking at their own pace, away from her and Kakashi.

And Kakashi had taken to sticking his nose in his book and not coming up unless he had to straighten out the boys.

She felt left out, with nothing to do but try and understand the scroll that Tobi left her.

For dummies her ass!

The scroll was written using the most obscure terms around, more than once she had –had to visit the library and research their meanings. The crossed out words and scribbles didn't help her any, he had re-written entire paragraphs in runny ink. The most helpful things -besides the comments-, were the detailed examples he had drawn next to some of the steps.

It was hard to do but she was getting it.

It had taken about 4 days but she could now produce a 1 inch scalpel from her finger tips. It was a little draining but worth the extra effort. When she had managed to almost cut a small tree in half with multiple swipes of her hands she decided it was a great technique ...it didn't hurt that her reserves were growing slowly either.

But...she really didn't feel like bragging to Kakashi or Ino...she wanted to keep this to herself.

Why can't she have secret jutsu? Everyone else did!

It would be her surprise.

As she lounged back on the bridge rail she refused to pay attention to her teammates bickering, choosing instead to try and think of other things to learn. Her quick grasp of the chakra scalpel had raised her spirits and encouraged her to find similar jutsu to try.

She hadn't found many that interested her yet.

Well...there was one...but it had no instructions, just the general description of what it does and how to do it.

Enhanced strength sounded..._fun_.

'_Too bad it didn't have much information__.__'_ she thought with a slightly disappointed frown. She was not too eager to test out different methods of achieving this strength, as she knew some of the things that could go wrong.

Broken fingers and internal bleeding didn't sound too fun, not that that would stop her from a few small experiments with it though.

She also liked the sound of some of the medic jutsu she'd read about, but she had to have Kakashi check the scrolls out of the library before she was allowed to read them. Too bad, she didn't feel like being told no by Kakashi.

With a slight stretch and a small yawn Sakura moved away from the red post of the bridge and slowly made her way over to her teammates, who had decided it was high time to ignore each other. Running a hand through her short hair she stood slightly off to the side as Naruto babbled on about something or another.

They had been waiting for _HOURS_!

You'd think Kakashi would show up on time for once wouldn't you? Especially when he's the one to call the meeting! Sakura huffed and a small scowl made its way to her face. _'Yeah, he can take all the time he wants and I HAVE to be here on time or face the consequences!'_

'_Speak of the devil'_ thought Sakura as she finished her internal rant.

"Hey guys, good morning~" he practically chirped out from his position on the beam above them. "Sorry I'm late, I'm afraid I got lost on the path of life." and with that he jumped down to their level and walked over.

"**WHHHHAAAATTTT****?!**" Naruto screamed at him as Sakura's face darkened slightly.

'_Only Tobi's __allowed__ to be this cheerful in the mornings__.__'_ she growled to herself as Sasuke continued scowling off to the side.

Naruto started going on about their next mission as Sasuke looked over, causing Naruto to lose his cool.

And with that the d rank missions began.

_God, she hated Kakashi._

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><p>Haruno Sakura's mission report.<p>

**Mission 1**: Weeding.

**Status**: Failure

**Problems**: Naruto challenging Sasuke again and pulling out all of their client's herbs.

**Comments**: ...I blame the broom burses on Naruto.

* * *

><p><strong>Mission 2<strong>: Clearing the river of trash

**Status**: Success

**Problems**: Naruto got washed over the waterfall, Sasuke saved him.

**Comments**: My teammates are idiots.

* * *

><p><strong>Mission 3<strong>: Dog walking

**Status**: Pending- he let the dog run off, we haven't found it yet.

**Problems**: ...Naruto...who the hell walks dogs near a mine field!

**Comments**:...why do I put up with this stupidity?

End Haruno Sakura's mission report.

Placing the hand written file down slowly, Iruka's eye twitched minutely.

'_NARUTO!'_

* * *

><p>'<em>Kakashi<em>_...__'_ Sakura growled to herself whilst helping drag Naruto down the alleyway_ '__H__e wants us to work on teamwork? THEN LET ME BE A PART OF THE __TEAM FOR__ ONCE!'_ and with the fighting starting between Naruto and Sasuke she dropped him, took a few steps back, and started taking deep, calming breaths.

"..Unless you have what it takes to prove me wrong?" and with those uttered words, their standoff began again.

'_Seriously...__they're__ just standing there glaring at each other__.__'_ Sakura thought with a sigh.

"Allll right guys, let's call it a day. You can beat each other to a pulp some other time; I have to file my report on this mission." He said tiredly. '_Most probably from keeping them off each other's throats all day__.__' _she added as an afterthought.

"Whatever, I'm out of here." Sasuke said as he turned and walked off.

Breath catching, Sakura realised this could be the perfect opportunity to train against someone seriously. She doubted Sasuke would go easy on her; he was the most ruthless on their team.

"Wait!" she called, taking a few steps closer with an excited smile on her face. "Sasuke, I'll go with you!" _'I can't wait to finally test myself against a real person!'_ she thought happily. "We could-"

"I swear you're just as bad as Naruto, why don't you practice your jutsu and make the team stronger. Let's face it, you're actually worse than Naruto..." and he was gone.

'_H-he's right...even my teammates don't want to train with me. I'm the weakest on our team...I'm weak...I'm...nothing'_ and as the thoughts faded out of her mind Sakura felt her heart crack and her lively jade eyes dull.

_**Broken**_

_**Weak**_

_**Alone**_

_**Not worthy of their time.**_

"Just forget about him Sakura, you and me can develop our teamwork all day~" Naruto sang out from his place as Kakashi decided to leave before anything set the girl into a rampage.

_**Nothing**_

_**Worthless**_

_**Friendless**_...! _'Not friendless! Tobi! Tobi believes in me! He said so himself!'_ crossed her mind as her eyes returned to normal, life dancing into them once more.

Turning to Naruto, she felt her eye twitch slightly at the sight of him being chased by a ...square box painted like a rock...

She zoned out as the three children jumped from the blown up box, shouting and pleading at Naruto.

"..Ninja...playing ninja..? Naruto, really?" she questioned as she discreetly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Uuuuhhhh, well ya see...-"he started only to be cut off by one of the goggle wearing boys, as a sly look overcame his face.

"OOOooooOOO I see what's going on here. So she's your" and with that, he stuck out his pinkie. As the blushing Naruto sputtered and babbled on for a few seconds, Sakura could feel her temper flare.

"Hahaha...so you noticed?" and with that, they were running for their lives from an irritated pinkette.

"NARUTO! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" she shouted as they turned another corner and came to a dead halt as the scarf wearing brat ran smack dab into a scary looking teen with a black body suit and

...IS THAT MAKEUP?! She thought with a_ TINY_ snicker.

'_Gah, I feel better already'_ she thought, watching the teen pull the brat off the ground by his scarf.

* * *

><p>To be continued next time on Naruto: MadaSaku Paradise!<p>

*cue closing credits*

_**I'm proud of myself, I really am. This is my first fic to ever make it this far! I'm glad you're all here to keep me motivated.**_

_**...I'll do everything in my power to update in the next week! I swear on...on...on MADARA'S LONG HAIR!**_

_**You should know the drill by now, but just for those who don't- please leave a review, I would really appreciate it~ no flames or just telling me everything you **__**think**__** is wrong with this fic.**_

_**Sakura-hime-sama**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**40,000 words people!**_

_**40,000! I'm shocked that I've even reached 10,000 let alone 40! I ONLY HAVE YOU ALL TO THANK! Every single alert, fav**__**,**__** and review makes me that much more excited and **__**I**__** read them over three to four times when I need motivation.**_

**Thank you all. So . MUCH! *****cries**** from happiness***

**LadyNorth76**- you're welcome~ thanks for reviewing!

**Greenyoshi77**-thank you, it's nice to know you like it~...have I mentioned how cool your username is yet? No? Well, it's awesome!

**TDI-Ryro-Eclares**-here is the update~~~ thanks for the review again~

**Angel879**-I need to thank you big time for reviewing my stories~ you the best!

**Sweetpinkcaramel**- hehe thanks for that~ Madara does have awesome hair that we can all agree on~

**ObitoU.4evrYoung**- you make me a very happy person~ thanks you, so very very much!

**Ravenwritingdesk**- hehe, well then... thank you madam~ for your wonderful review. When I first saw him I snorted! I'm trying to build her skills up at a believable rate; I don't want her getting too cocky! (Sakura: HEY!) I can't wait for Tobi either, hehehe, I might just...! Thanks for the well wishes and the info on the glasses, I'll look into them!

**Akira158**- good idea! Grovel Kakashi! On your knees and kiss her shoes! Lol. Thanks for your review~

**Glow593**-thank you~ it was sad to finish the wave arc *sniff* I miss Haku. Oh well, time to figure out how to write Gaara~

**Haruno Temper**-*backs away slowly*I-I hear you! He's right here! *pushes Madara in front of her and hides behind the nearest corner* have at him!

**Tobi's a bad boy**- T_T thank you; it's so nice to hear that from someone! (Nice username~)

**Girlyoudontknow**- me too, me too. I have something like that planned for future reference, thanks for reminding me~

**Tobai**- haha! :D

**solomia. sorbia**- first review? Yay~ thank you so much, I updated one review early because you made me smile just that much more~ I hope you enjoy this chapter as well then!

_**ON WITH THE SHOW~~~~**_

DEDICATED TO- Haruno Temper, ravenwritingdesk, solomia. sorbia(for you first time reviewing my fic) and TDI-Ryro-Eclares. Thanks for being such great reviewers~

**UPDATED: 3/09/13 **

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><p><strong>Madara's <strong>**P.O.V.**

A gift

He, Madara Uchiha, was looking for a gift.

For the little pinkette that caught his attention. Whilst desperately trying to convince himself that he wasn't going soft, he let another frustrated sigh escape his downturned lips.

"Fuck it." he muttered softly, turning another corner in the maze like base.

He had returned to Ame after leaving wave, deciding it was for the best if he checked up on how Pein was handling things. All was well when he arrived at their base, sunken into the shadows and unnoticeable to the few civilians Pein contracted for housekeeping. Only Pein and his woman Konan were present in the upper floors, he concluded that the summons he had received were just a way to keep him in sight.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

Reaching up he twisted his mask to the side of his head, having become irritated with the feel of it, and gazed to the barely lit door of the library. Shrugging off his damp cloak and folding it over his right arm; he was suddenly hit with an idea. With a small grin he walked over to the badly lit room and opened the slightly rusted door before gazing to one of the bookshelfs, trying to find the old tattered scroll that had caught his attention one time before.

Walking in and closing the door behind him, he placed his cloak on the back of a nearby desk chair. Moving closer to the shelf, he started scanning the multiple scrolls for the one he had in mind. It was a tattered old thing, stained a yellow colour with age and a few spots that he knew were old blood stains. The room was surprisingly warm despite the entire building being made of steel and other metals, this was a plus as all the shelfs were meters long and held a few hundred scrolls each.

With a sigh he squatted down to the last level of the shelf and started again.

'_This is going to take awhile__.__'_ he thought while irritably chucking another similar scroll over his shoulder and smirking at the small crash it made at the other end of the library.

**Sakura's ****P.O.V.**

"_NARUTO! __I'M__ GOING TO KILL YOU!" she shouted as they turned another corner and came to a dead halt as the scarf wearing brat ran smack dab into a scary looking teen with a black body suit and_

_...IS THAT MAKEUP? She thought with a TINY snicker._

'_Gah, I feel better already' she thought__,__ watching the teen pull the brat off the ground by his scarf._

"That hurt you punk." the teen growled out, jolting the boy slightly with a smirk plastered to his painted face as the girl next to him looked exasperated. Sakura was glad she felt so unaffected at the malice coating his voice. _'After all,'_ she thought with a small grim smile _'I've heard much worse__.__' _

* * *

><p>"<em>You're brave, I'll give you that much. But bravery will only get you so far in our line of work, can you back up <em>_your__ big words, girl?"_

* * *

><p>"<em>Ahhh, I know that look in your eyes girl. You want to prove yourself, nee? To your master? Your teammates? You have potential girl, if you play things just right you could end up like me one day<em>_.__"_

'_You could end up like me__.__'_

'_Like me'_

* * *

><p>With a violent shiver Sakura shook the haunting voice from her head, not wanting to remember those terrible few minutes. She hadn't been able to sleep properly since the fight; the silence was just too much for her to cope with.<p>

She knew Kakashi had noticed the covered black bags under her eyes too.

He still hadn't mentioned it though.

She was brought back to the present by Naruto's enraged yell in her ear.

"HEY! LET KONOHAMARU GO!" and with that he was charging forward, most likely planning to get the kid- 'Konohamaru' back on his own. As he got closer Sakura noticed the minute movement on the ground, instantly drawing her attention.

Chakra, it was a string of chakra.

'_A puppetry technique, chakra strings'_ ran through her mind as she quickly recalled the brief description she had read earlier that week during her research. It didn't have an explanation on how to do the technique, just a description on what it looked like. With this running through her mind and her eyes fixated on the string, she reached forward and grabbed the back of Naruto's collar. He let out a strangled sound as he came to an abrupt stop, jerking her forward a few inches, and turned to her with a questioning look.

He wasn't the only one.

Make up man was looking at her with slight interest.

'_Not good'_

"Ooowww~, Sakura-chan! What did you do that for~" Naruto whined angrily as she let him go. Looking at the anger on his usually gentle face made Sakura's insides clench as all her insecurities came rushing back at the remembrance of the tree climbing incident.

'_Now isn't the time for this Sakura, just forget about it__.__'_ she thought as she tried to open her suddenly cotton filled mouth.

Her supposed response was cut off by the announced arrival of Sasuke Uchiha as the rock he threw from his elevated position struck the teen, forcing him to release Konohamaru who scrambled away and over to his friends.

"Leave the kid alone." Sasuke stated as he crushed a rock in his hand, letting the pieces roll out and drop to the ground below the tree. "It's not nice to pick on those weaker than you." he taunted as the teen growled and started shifting the bandaged package on his back.

"Come down here and say that you little punk!" and with that, the blond next to him took action.

"Kankuro, you're not thinking of using crow are you?" she asked, taking a step to the side and giving him room. Sakura looked at the girl in envy; she was so pretty- she looked strong too! How come she couldn't look like that?

"So? I'm going to teach these little punks a lesson!" he stated, loosening the straps a little more. The blond sighed and looked to the sky, rolling her eyes and frowning slightly. Sakura felt a slight pressure from Sasuke's right, it felt eerily murderous.

Just like _**Zabuza's**_ chakra.

And with that she clenched her eyes shut and tensed her body, fighting the onslaught of memories.

"Fine, but I had nothing to do with this. Gaara's going to be mad." and with that the boy grinned, just about to yell something when an emotionless voice cut in.

"You're a disgrace to our village."

_**Too similar.**_

* * *

><p>"<em>You would work well with Haku and I, I can make you just like me <em>_one__ day."_

* * *

><p>'<em>No, focus Sakura<em>_.__'_ she told herself once more.

She opened her eyes just in time to see a red haired boy appear in front of the two teens. He couldn't have been more than a year older than them, but the malevolent chakra he produced was equivalent to someone twice their age. The older boy looked shocked and horrified at the arrival of the red head with a giant gourd on his back.

"G-Gaara! We weren't doing anything I swear- "Pathetic" the boy-Gaara- cut in, causing the older boy to snap his mouth shut and shake. The blond didn't look much better as she shifted backwards slightly, moving behind Kankuro.

As Gaara turned to face them, Sakura finally got a good look at his face, the black rimmed eyes and emotionless look made her even more suspicious of the new trio. He shifted his pale green eyes between her and Naruto and with a "Sorry for any trouble these two may have caused you." he turned and started walking away. The two older teens didn't hesitate to follow his lead as something important suddenly jumped to the front of Sakura's mind.

Taking a deep breath in, she took a step forward and instantly caught their attention.

"Wait, I can see from your headband that you're not from here, what business do three sand Nin have in Konoha?" she asked with every ounce of confidence she could find flowing from her voice. The blond turned with a smirk and flashed Sakura her passport before replying.

"Me and my brothers are here for the chuunin exams, in case you didn't know." she said with a slightly mocking air as Naruto walked closer, having stopped talking to Konohamaru.

"Well, I've never heard of any chuunin exams, believe it." he said while lightly scratching the side of his face in confusion.

Sakura sweat dropped slightly in realisation. _'He was probably sleeping, the baka__.__'_

Temari let out a laugh before replying "Yeah, I believe it alright. That you're totally clueless."

"Hey boss, those are the exams any gennin's got to take in order to graduate into being a full on chuunin!" Konohamaru said while looking at Naruto with a blank face.

'_A child knows more about being a ninja than him, that's...just sad Naruto...'_ Sakura thought as the sweat drop on her head doubled in size.

"OH! Well why didn't you say so, I am soooo there!" Naruto exclaimed in excitement, raising his clenched fists into the air. Sakura let out a sigh as the sand trio turned again as Gaara gave a slight 'heh' of amusement at her teammates idiotic behaviour.

"Hey you!" Sasuke called as he finally jumped down from his place in the tree, landing a few feet in front of her while facing the sand trio. "Identify yourself"

Temari turned with a look of hope on her face and a hand rose to her chest "You mean me~?" Sasuke didn't even look at her as he raised his own hand and pointed to Gaara's retreating back.

"No, him, with the gourd on his back." he stated. Sakura watched as Gaara turned around and looked straight to Sasuke. She was slightly confused at his question though, was she the only one to catch his name earlier?

"My name is Sabaku no Gaara." he said before taking a slight pause to contemplate something before asking Sasuke for his name as well.

"I am Sasuke Uchiha." As the two stared each other down, Naruto decided he'd had enough of being ignored.

"HI THERE! I bet you're dying to know my name right!" he stated brightly as the red head glowered at him in irritation.

"I couldn't care less." at the reply, she looked over just in time to catch Naruto's face falling slightly. _'Now you know what I face all the time Naruto__.__'_ she thought in a somewhat bitterly satisfied fashion as Kankuro made himself known again.

"Since we're into the whole name thing, I'm afraid I didn't catch yours pinkie?" he questioned in a teasing manner. To say Sakura was shocked would be an understatement, she was floored. Someone had finally noticed her! Had taken an interest in who the pink haired girl was! She had just opened her moth to answer when she was cut off by Naruto.

"WHHHHAAAAATTTTTT! NO FAIR! How come you want to know her name and not MINE~" he cried out as he dropped to the ground next to the three children and started whining loudly. Sakura sucked in a sharp breath as she watched the trio in front of them turn and jump away, Kankuro having given an irritated sigh signalling he was sick of waiting for Naruto to shut up.

She was sick of this already; she didn't know how much more she could put up with today. Naruto and Sasuke had begun fighting again; name calling as usual, not even being creative about it.

It was always baka this and teme that.

It was so annoying to listen to.

The shouting that bothered the civilians.

The random spars during missions.

The well hidden friendship they had.

She wanted to be a part of it too.

As she watched Sasuke turn and leave once more, she gave a depressed sigh before turning and starting off towards the nearest dango store.

She needed a treat, covered in sugar and syrup.

But all her plans were crushed by Naruto's shout of realisation.

"Sakura-chan~ why didn't you let me rescue Konohamaru! I could have beaten Sasuke teme to it and been cooler!" he grumbled as she felt herself clam up again. It was obvious that he was still worked up over Sasuke leaving in the middle of an argument.

'_Calm down Sakura'_ she thought to herself _'he doesn't really mean it__.__'_

"You're so mean to me~" he whined and looked to the side pouting "Taking my spot light by having that guy ask your name."

'_Calm down, don't cry, don't cry! Happy thoughts, flowers, dango, puppies, Tobi, C-Tobi! What would Tobi do to cheer me up? I know!'_

"Don't be such a fuckwit Naruto." the second those words left her mouth, she froze with wide green eyes before quickly bringing a hand up and clasping it over the bottom of her face. Naruto looked at her in shock whilst falling over sideways.

'_Oh kami'_

**Madara's ****P.O.V.**

Examining another scroll, he stopped as a small shiver went down his spine.

'_Why do I feel like I just corrupted something?' _he questioned as he moved onto another worn yellow looking scroll. _'__O__h well__.__'_

* * *

><p><em><strong>For those who don't know, I just finished a few one-shots you might be interested in~<strong>_

_**Cherry Tree- Tobi/Saku**_

_**The Fate **__**of**__** a God- Pein/Saku**_

_**If Only We Could- Dei/Saku**_

_**Why Cherry **__**Blossoms**__** Fall- Saku/no one**_

_**Forever Young- Akat/Saku**_

_**Like a moth to a flame- Mada/Saku**_

_**After ever after- Team 7**_

_**Akatsuki Guidelines- Akat/Saku**_

_I hope you take the time to read them~_

_**You should know the drill by now, but just for those who don't- please leave a review, I would really appreciate it~ no flames or just telling me everything you **__**think**__** is wrong with this fic.**_

_**Sakura-hime-sama**_

**40,000 words! ****T****o ****commemorate**** this moment ****I**** want you to push that review tally to over 200 before I update next~ ****T****hank you all so much...!**


	14. Chapter 14

_**220 reviews...shit! I did not expect to receive that many *unbelieving laugh* thanks for all the **__**favs**__**, **__**alerts,**__** and reviews **__**you're**__** giving me! I really didn't expect this story to get this big...it was just a shock that people liked it so much...but thank you all so much, you've made my life so much more exciting!**_

**Yuti-chan**- me too~ I wonder what it is? ~ Lol

**Delilah-smurple**- and thank you for reading and reviewing, that's the first time someone has ever thanked me for existing!

**TooLazy**- thank you! It's nice to hear that.

**TCI-Ryro-Eclares**- it's a comfortable length for me to write, I feel iffy about writing too long chapters. Oh well, what can you do? *shrug*

**Aquacherries**- thank you :D I'm not that talented, just enough to get by on essays, lol. Thanks for reading and I hope you like this chapter. If she does end up joining the Akatsuki, I think I might do that...maybe. I like the idea of a jealous Madara~

**Akira158**- hehehe~poor Sakura.

**Loving your Fanfiction**- haha, here's the update! No need to hunt me down! No, Kakashi doesn't know, she's just reading the available jutsu in there, and it would be strict with the more powerful ones so no one got hurt.

**Black Emeralds**- ~thank you~ thanks for the criticism, I HATE re-reading my work, I just CAN'T do it! It feels wrong, I can't handle it.

**Acetwolf94**-:D

**Lady Lazy**-thanks, I love reviews like this~ hehe I could have done it to Sasuke, but I don't think he would react too well. Here's the chapter!

**Solomia. Sorbia**- :D I love your reviews! You just get what I'm going for!

**PrettyChelsea**- hehehehe~

**Glow593**- poor Madara, what have you unleashed upon Konoha! And yes, here's the chapter!

**Anon**- thank you~ :)

**Toreh**- thanks for pointing that out, I knew I should trail off a little. I just needed to get a few things out of the way; I'll branch off a bit now! Thank you for reviewing.

**Cherryvampiress**- yep, Sakura is dah bomb! Update is here!

**Crazy yet insane**- ahhh! (Ducks further behind corner) I don't know where Sakura is! (Peeks around and sees Tobi being dragged) I can do this, I can do this! (Nervously walks out while taking a deep breath and raising hands in surrender) j-just let him go and I'll answer anything you need (closes her blue eyes at the sight of Zabuza's sword and screams) IF YOU KILL ME I CAN'T UPDATE!

**SasuLovesSaku4Ever**- hahaha, he had doomed us all!

**Hannah Browers**- thank you for reviewing.

**Deathgeonous**- Spock manoeuvrer (snort) epic! Shenanigans! (Another snort) awesome! I love your review! Had me giggling~ thanks for reading.

**ObitoU. 4evrYoung**- who doesn't?

**Greenyoshi77**- hehehe, I really need to watch that-people keep telling me too but no, my internet doesn't agree with me. Here's the chapter!

**Angel897**- it's what I'm aiming for~

**Miss Dany**- Soon~. Just wait till the exams~

**Goddess of WAR1Keeper of TIME**- ...maybe, I'll have a think about what I can give her~

**Miss Chocolate**- thanks for reviewing again! He's a total softy, but we love his crazy softness~ thank you so much~

**DaRk-SnOw-FlOwEr24**- hehehe, well thanks for remembering this time. :D you make me smile, I'm trying to keep it realistic..ish.

**Sorry the replies are kinda short, there were too many to do without taking up too much space!**

_**And I shall elaborate on a question I have been asked many times before.**_

**Am I planning to do lemons in this fic?**

_**My answer? Yes, if the whole issue with fanfiction deleting stories with lemons in them is sorted out, I wouldn't want it getting deleted. But I do plan to do some when she's older!**_

**ON WITH THE SHOW!**

**I don't own Naruto!**

****UPDATED: 3/09/13 ****

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><p>'<em>Calm down, don't cry, don't cry! Happy thoughts, flowers, dango, puppies, Tobi, C-Tobi! What would Tobi do to cheer me up? I know!'<em>

"_Don't be such a fuckwit Naruto__.__" the second those words left her mouth__,__ she froze with wide green eyes before quickly bringing a hand up and clasping it over the bottom of her face__.__ Naruto looked at her in shock __whilst__ falling over sideways._

'_Oh kami'_

**Sakura's ****P.O.V.**

Looking at Naruto's stunned form she slowly took a step back and turned before running down the path and putting as much distance as she could between them, fastening her pace as she heard Naruto shout her name.

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

With a quick jump, she attached herself to the nearest wall and made her way up to the roof as quietly as possible. Once she reached the top she hauled herself over the ledge and looked back down just in time to see Naruto run past, frantically searching for her. With a sad look in her eyes, she turned and made her way to the centre of the slightly tilted and slippery roof. Sitting down slowly, she drew her knees up and gazed out at the bustling market.

_'Why did I do that? Now Naruto'll hate me...'_ she thought as she gazed to the setting sun whilst losing herself to thought.

_'What if he already did?...'_

**Naruto's ****P.O.V.**

"Sakura-chan~ where are yoooooou~ please don't hide~" he pleaded to the surrounding walls as he made another turn. He had been searching for a good half hour by now but was determined not to give up, after all- she was the love of his life! They were destined to be together! **(AN: just keep thinking that Naruto *sweat drop*)** With a loud exhale he slowed to a halt and gazed around to the surrounding trees, letting out a grumble as he failed to spot any tell tale flashes of pink or red.

Starting off towards the training grounds in a slow walk, he lifted his hands and locked his fingers behind his head with a sigh. Gazing from left to right every few feet he could only hope to see her familiar pink hair or hear her light giggle- he knew he wouldn't though, she hadn't been laughing a lot lately, she seemed kind of ...what was the word?

_'Sasuke'ish? No not that, zoned out? No, no! Withdrawn! That's the word I'm looking for!'_ he corrected in his head before letting a worried frown cross his face.

She had seemed withdrawn, she didn't hit him over the head anymore or even fawn over Sasuke! She hadn't been spending more time than necessary with them; instead she rushed off after every meeting or mission and either went to the library or straight home- he should know as he had been following her to make sure she was ok. As the trees surrounding the dirt path cleared somewhat, he noticed he had arrived at the red bridge instead of team 8's training area, he had been hoping to catch Kiba and get some help. Letting out a groan as he noticed it was starting to get dark; he lent against one of the red posts and sank to the ground with his arms lazily crossed in front of him.

He stayed that way until the sun had lowered past the distant trees surrounding the village, deep in thought about the distant pinkette.

"Yo." Kakashi's voice came from above, startling him into falling. Naruto angrily pulled himself off the ground with a huff and pointed at the masked nin above him who was holding his orange book lightly in one hand.

"YOU! Don't DO that Kakashi-sensei!" he shouted as he lowered his finger, crossing his arms again with his irritated gaze still locked onto his sensei. "What do you want anyway? I'm BUSY!" he had growled the last part out angrily, but calmed at the somewhat taken aback look Kakashi shot him.

"Now now, I don't know what has you so worked up Naruto, but I came to inform you of a change in plans. We're meeting here tomorrow, nice and early, I have important news for you all." Kakashi said lightly, jumping off his perch and landing next to Naruto without a single sound. "What's on your mind Naruto?" he asked as he lent against Naruto's previously occupied post.

Eyeing his sensei curiously, Naruto relaxed himself and walked over to the rail once more. Leaning heavily on the fading red wood, he turned his gaze to the slowly running water below them.

"I-it's Sakura, she hasn't been acting right since we left Tazuna's place, there's something wrong with her Kakashi-sensei!" He said just loud enough for the older man to hear, before giving a small sigh. "She hasn't been hitting me over the head for annoying her lately and I haven't seen her ask Sasuke out since we left wave. Sakura isn't like she used to be, she doesn't laugh enough anymore or smile without looking kinda dazed. I'm worried about her sensei, what's wrong with her?"

Looking at Kakashi from the corner of his eye, he saw the jounin put away his ever present book and tilt his head to face the genin. "We all have different ways of dealing with things Naruto. Sakura is most probably still trying to get over the whole Zabuza incident. We don't know how long she was in there with him or what happened since she refuses to talk about it, she's just trying to get over it on her own. I know you've been having nightmares and not sleeping properly." At this the blond lowered his head in embarrassment. "Naruto, there's no need to be ashamed. It's only natural for someone your age after experiencing something like that. Back to Sakura- maybe you should try speaking to her about it, tell her about your own troubles and she might be more open to speaking with you. It'll help the both of you; just give it a try next time." And with that, he gave the boy a pat on the back before standing and making his way down the road towards the still bustling village.

"Wait! Sakura called me a fuckwit before Kakashi! Where the hell did she pick up language like that? What if she's hanging out with horrible people who plan to corrupt her innocence and take over the WORLD?!" he exaggerated, hoping to get his point across. "She doesn't speak like that Kakashi, I've never heard her swear before!" he finished with wide eyes as the older nin gave a loud laugh as he looked to the boy again and shouted over his shoulder before disappearing

"With teammates like you and Sasuke, I'm surprised she didn't pick it up sooner!"

**Madara's ****P.O.V.**

With a smirk Madara patted the hidden pocket of his cloak as he made his way down the almost unlit hallway towards Pein's office, having finally found the scroll he was looking for.

He wanted to challenge her, to see if she was really worth his time.

Little Sakura was exceptionally skilled in stretching out the chakra she had, but how good was she really at utilizing that talent to perform jutsu?

With a quick adjustment of his mask Madara turned one last corner and pulled the door open, not bothering to announce his presence as he strolled into the large office and interrupted a conversation between the rinnegan twit and his 'partner' by the window.

_'Like I don't know __they're__ fucking each other__.__'_ he thought with an amused quirk of his lips but then frowned in disgust at the lavish room._ 'I can't believe he works in here__.__'_ Walking over the plush, dark red carpet, he made his way to one of the large chairs and sank down, raising his feet and laying them on the desk.

"Madara" Pein acknowledged as he eyed Madara's feet on said desk.

_'I hope that's your paperwork__.__'_ he thought vindictively, referring to the papers his boots were currently leaving scattered and crumpled.

"I'm advising you against calling me unnecessarily again Pein." He said, his visible red eye spinning slightly in warning "I shall come and go as I please, you hold no power over me and I'm not going to be treated like the pawns that work for 'us'" he mocked at the rinnegan user as the man's indifferent face flashed with irritation. "I have plans in motion that need my attention and I will not stand for more interruptions."

"Plans?" the orange haired man inquired as his partner turned her attention to him as well.

"Yes, plans, I DO have a life you know" he said in a dramatically exasperated voice. "And no, I'm not informing you of them so don't ask. I shall be taking my leave now; I expect not to hear from you." Not even raising from his seat, Madara teleported out of the room and appeared in one of fire country's forests. As he brushed invisible lint off his cloak he reached inside and double checked the scroll, gazing at the title before putting it away and heading towards Konoha.

Kanashibari no jutsu

_'Let's see if you've been practicing blossom__.__' _he thought as he made his way through the thick forest._ 'The chuunin exams are coming up from what I heard, and I expect you to pass__.__'_

**Sakura's ****P.O.V.**

Lying back in her bed with a sigh, Sakura tried her hardest to stay awake; feeling something big was about to occur if she did nod off, and it would change her life.

But the poor Cherry was exhausted from the day she had, taxing her physically and mentally.

She was asleep within seconds.

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><p><em><strong>Kanashibari no jutsu:<strong>_- genjutsu- body freeze skill- or temporary paralysis, Orochimaru used this genjutsu on Sasuke and Sakura in the forest of death, showing them their own deaths- we all remember that don't we?- Assumed that most anbu know this technique.

_**Some insight on Naruto's mind! And what a confusing place it is~**_

_**Have you read my new MadaSaku one-shot~ 'like a moth to a flame'? If not I would like you **__**to**_

**What I listen to when writing the characters:**

_**Sakura: **__**P**__**aradise- Coldplay**_

_**Madara: Anthem of our dying day- Story of the year**_

_**Tobi: Tik Toc Parody- midnight beast (AN: it just fits his personality sometimes~)**_

_**Naruto: Forever Young- Youth Group**_

_**Kakashi: **__**H**__**ow to save a life- The fray**_

_**You should know the drill by now, but just for those who don't- please leave a review, I would really appreciate it~ no flames or just telling me everything you **__**think**__** is wrong with this fic.**_

_**Sakura-hime-sama**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Thanks for all the fast reviews! This chapter is dedicated to Miss Dany-for reminding me that I need to do Sasuke's **__**P.O.V.**__** sometime in the future...**_

**Goddess of WAR1Keeper of TIME**- here it is~

**Angel897**- thank you~

**YawningNeko**- nice to hear from you again! Thanks for the review~ update has arrived!

**Miss Dany**- thank you, it just seems like the ideal time for her to show off a little. I plan to do another Kakashi P.O.V. in the near future but I'm not sure how to portray Sasuke's...oh well, I'll figure something out~

**Cherryvampiress**- lol, poor Pein~ here ya go!

**MariDark**- he's going to give it to her, he has it on him, waiting till he gets the time. :D thanks for asking a question~

**Miss Chocolate**- it's the technique Orochimaru used on Sasuke and Sakura during the forest of death, the genjutsu that showed them their own death. Hehe I'll most probably get him to do that~ thanks for the review!

**Crazy yet insane-** (looks at Tobi's form on the ground and sweat drops)...um... the sky is blue because Madara says so, Naruto is a stalker because Hinata rubbed off on him, Tobi is on the ground because...he sleepy, I'm NOT scared...just ...hey look a DISTRACTION! (Grabs Tobi and ducks behind the corner again)

**Akira158**- thank you! :D I shall grant your prayers in the upcoming chapters...I feel like Pein now~

**DaRk-SnOw-FlOwEr24-** I'm glad you liked it~! I'm trying to get to the exams as fast as I can, without rushing it too much and missing something I had planned~

**Glow593**- it is, it's the genjutsu Orochimaru used on Sasuke and Sakura in the forest of death- that showed them their own death. It's called body freeze skill, or temporary paralysis.

**Kaien Kurayami**- thank you, could you please message me about your offer, I'm interested in having someone read over my work...very interested...! lol~ we'll see if we can work something out.

**AThickSliceOfCake**- :) smiles! I updated!

**DarkEmpress192**- thank you, you have no idea how much that means to me! XD

_**ON WITH THE SHOW! ... Questions shall be answered this chapter and I hope to god that it makes sense...**_

_**I don't own Naruto~**_

_****UPDATED: 3/09/13 ****_

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><p><em>Lying back in her bed with a sigh<em>_,__ Sakura tried her hardest to stay awake; feeling something big was about to occur if she did, and it would change her life._

_But the poor Cherry was exhausted from the day she had, taxing her physically and mentally._

_She was asleep within seconds._

**Sakura's ****P.O.V.**

Weary and disoriented, Sakura slowly opened her slightly glazed jade green eyes and was met with darkness. With a silent yell, she struggled against the unusually strong gravity and slowly pulled herself into a sitting position. Panting from the effort it took, she gazed around her dark purple pyjama clad form and still found nothing.

Nothing but darkness

Shaking slightly she slowly pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them tightly with a soft whimper, trying to ignore the complete nothingness that seemed to blanket the area. There was just...nothing, no colour, no light, no sound, just...emptiness.

'_Sakura' _

She flinched slightly, lifting her head and looking around again, scared and alone, without any weapons to defend her.

'Sakura~ look at me~'

Surveying the surrounding darkness with more urgency she still found nothing, no one, no one to call her name. _'Am I going crazy?'_ she questioned her sanity as her trembling grip on her legs tightening minutely. Taking a deep breath in and holding it for a few seconds, she exhaled and calmed her trembling slightly, closing her eyes to try and block out the darkness surrounding her. _'I'm a kunochi damn it! I'm not meant to be scared of dreams! Naruto or Sasuke wouldn't be, so I can't be either.'_

"Sakura, pay attention, now isn't the time for zoning out." a shockingly familiar voice breathed out next to her ear. With a shriek Sakura flung herself up and scrambled forward, turning around after putting a little distance between them.

'_No, this can't be happening!'_

There was the older Sakura, crouched right behind where she had been previously sitting, with an amused look plastered on her tired and worn looking face.

"Finally noticed me I see, so-" she stood up casually before raising her arm's above her head and stretching, taking no mind to the fact she was wearing blood stained rags. "-How do you like the future?" She said, taking a few steps towards the smaller pinkette.

"...what?" Sakura questioned, unable to understand what the older pinkette was hinting at.

"The dreams." she clarified, looking at the short girl with soft eyes. "That's just a glimpse of our past, and your future."

"...WHAT?" Sakura repeated louder, staring at the older girl in confusion. The older girl sighed in slight resignation and sat down on the 'ground' again, motioning for Sakura to join her. After a few moments Sakura hesitantly made her way over, eyes still watching the other wearily before slowly taking a seat a few feet from her.

"Sakura, I have a lot to explain and not much time left. I know I should have brought you here sooner but I didn't want you to get overwhelmed."

"You...brought me here?" Sakura questioned quietly.

"Yes, it is necessary. I've been here for awhile; I just needed to prepare you before we talked. You needed to see how it all started Sakura, to understand what I'm going to tell you."

"Prepare...YOU! You're the one giving me those dreams!"

"Yes" she said with a tired look taking over her face.

"B-but, why would you show me something like that! Who are you?"

"I am you Sakura, and I'm not. We are the same yet very different."

"..You're me...but not..." Sakura drawled out unbelievably, looking into the older pinkette's jade eyes in distrust.

"Mmhmmm and those dreams? They really did happen."

"You...you really expect me to believe that you're from the future? You're insane! Those things could never happen!" Sakura said, voice catching at the remembrance of the after mentioned dreams.

"Yes I do, and those are my memories. They were the most likely to catch your attention, you needed to see what could happen." she trailed off, at the younger girls disbelieving look she took action.

"Let me explain." With a sigh, the older Sakura made a hand sign and words started playing from nowhere.

"_I blame you for it all, I'll never forgive you! Not in this life or the next! I won't let you kill him again, even if it takes me eternity and destroys my soul soon after, I'll find a way to make you pay and save him! I won't let this happen again!"_ this was followed by mad sounding laughter as it slowly died down to nothing.

Shivering at the laughter Sakura looked to the older girl and stayed quiet, preparing to listen to the promised explanation.

"That really did happen Sakura, it's not pleasant and I'm sure you remember how that particular dream ended?" she questioned as the younger girl shuddered at the memory. "Well, I found a way Sakura. I found a way to send my soul back in time, but with this came an unexpected rule. I am just a passenger in this body; I could not reveal myself until you met the person that affected me the most in my life. My best friend Ma-"

"Tobi" Sakura whispered at the mention of said masked man, remembering the older girl's dead eyes at his announced death.

"-right Tobi." she corrected hastily with a small smirk at the mention of the man's childish persona "I'm running out of chakra Sakura, and the second I do I'm going to disappear. I'll die, and there's nothing that can prevent it. But I don't care; I don't care that I'll die Sakura, as long as you're aware of what our future is like."

"...?"

"If you know what our future is like, then you'll be prepared for it, like I wish I was. I don't care about how you live our life, it's not mine-it's different." Sakura interrupted her older self with a curious look, finally starting to believe her words.

"But... we're the same person, you said you were from the past so wouldn't it be the same?" she questioned as she slid slightly closer to the taller pinkette.

"The events are different from the way I lived my life and everyone I had known does not act the way I remember, but your life will end the same way as mine if you don't promise me something Sakura-chan." She said as she sagged from her straight sitting positing slightly, looking exhausted.

"Promise? Promise you what?" the young pinkette questioned as the taller one took a deep shuddering breath and flinched slightly. With a yell Sakura quickly crawled over to her older self and placed her hands on her shoulders, supporting her so she wouldn't fall down." What's wrong! What's happening!" she demanded while helping the wincing pinkette to sit up straight once more.

"I JUST told you I didn't have much time left, didn't I? Did you not pay any attention to what I was saying?" she joked quietly as a small blood stain started to appear over her heart. "Promise me Sakura," she said to the panicking girl "promise me that you'll do everything in your power to save him. Save Tobi, don't let him die this time!"

"I-I"

"PROMISE ME!" she suddenly roared while flaring the remainder of her chakra and suffocating the girl slightly.

"I-I promise." she wheezed and cried out in pain out as the pressure increased and a burning sensation suddenly flared around her belly button, like a red hot knife was carving something viciously into her insides. Falling to her side she clawed at her stomach, desperate for the feeling to stop hacking at her skin.

"Then I leave you with a gift, something to help you when your life is in danger and your world seems to be crashing around you. It's my gift to help you stay alive and keep your promise to me, but it will only come to be when all the factors are met." With a shaky smile at the whimpering girl on the 'ground' "I'm sorry I can't help you more." she commented softly before spitting out a mouth full of blood and fading into the surrounding nothingness, leaving the young and pained pinkette alone in the suffocating silence.

With a cry she looked around at the darkness, tears of pain rolling down her pale cheeks.

'_Please, I don't want to be alone, help me'_ she whimpered in her mind, unable to find the strength to speak out loud _'please...'_ and with that her consciousness faded once more.

**Madara's ****P.O.V.**

Slipping silently around the patrolling anbu guards and scaling the outside of Konoha's wall, he was honestly shocked at how easy it was to infiltrate the village and silently vowed to see if it was this easy to get into the Kage's office after he payed a visit to his favourite pinkette. Jumping deftly from the top to one of the surrounding roofs he made his way towards her faint chakra signature, a small smirk coming to his face as he slipped past yet another patrolling shinobi.

_'This is just too easy__.__'_ he thought as the warm wind ruffled his long black hair. Making his way towards the pinkette's location, he let a let out a pleased sound as he felt how much her chakra had grown. It wasn't a phenomenal growth, just enough to show she had been working on it given the time she had. Coming to a stop across from her house he gazed to the small room she was located in and froze when he heard her give a muffled yell of pain and distress. Without a second thought he appeared in her room, kusarigama (chain-sickle) in hand and scanned the room for intruders with his lazily spinning red eye.

Gazing around the room he spotted nothing and even went as far as to cast a quick genjutsu on the room to spot any hidden enemy's. Still wary upon finding no one he refused to re-seal his weapon and made his way to the pinkette, whose face was contorted in agony as she clawed harshly at her stomach and whimpered once more.

"Cherry?" he asked softly as he placed his sickle on her bed side table and moved over to her side. Grasping her clawing hands he gently moved them from the offending area as not to hurt her and, once complete, moved the bottom of her shirt up enough to see her abused stomach.

His eyes flashed with shock for a moment at the black swirl like marking that tattooed her navel; hastily he brought a hand up and probed the area with his chakra checking for any abnormalities. Finding an odd chakra simmering just below the surface, he studied the area once more before flooding it with healing chakra to relieve her of any residual pain the mark brought on. He was shocked to feel the tattoo absorb some of his chakra and grow slightly, the swirl lengthening by a centimetre or so. Quickly withdrawing his hand he pulled her shirt back into place and moved away, scanning the area once more to try and find the one to do this to his little blossom.

With an aggravated sound he picked up his sickle and made his way to a chair in the corner on the room, taking a seat on the old desk chair placed there, and began waiting for the pinkette to awaken.

_'Who did that to you Cherry?'_

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><p><em><strong>Done, and done! Ha ha sorry if the dream explanation is a bit confusing, I really couldn't figure out how to word it. I'll do a quick summery for those who didn't understand:<strong>_

**The older Sakura found a way to send her soul back in time and became stuck in the younger Sakura, unable to talk or communicate ****with**** her until she met Tobi. Once younger Sakura met him she started showing her flashes of the future in the form of dreams.**

**After running low on chakra she brought Sakura into her own mind and began explaining things to her, which resulted in the younger Sakura promising to try and save Tobi and the older one running out of chakra and dying.**

_**Translation I forgot to do in the last chapter: (sorry *awkward giggle*)**_

Kanashibari no jutsu: - genjutsu- body freeze skill- or temporary paralysis, Orochimaru used this genjutsu on Sasuke and Sakura in the forest of death, showing them their own deaths- we all remember that don't we?- Assumed that most anbu know this technique.

_**Done~**_

_I've been a busy little bee, working on my Bioshock big sister cosplay at any spare moment I'm given! Speaking of cosplay, who from Australia is going to Melbourne's manifest? I AM! I love it there; I would highly recommend it to anyone interested~ I'm going as Lucy/Nyu from __Elfin Lied__ and a Bioshock big sister this year!_

_**Thanks for reading~**_

_**You should know the drill by now, but just for those who don't- please leave a review, I would really appreciate it~ no flames or just telling me everything you **__**think**__** is wrong with this fic.**_

_**Sakura-hime-sama**_

A question to my reviewers! Do you ever think Pein has 'face palm' moments? If so, what would be running through his mind?


	16. Chapter 16

**^_^ ****H****ello everyone! It's good to be writing again, as my stupid computer decided to be difficult when I wanted to start writing this. Oh well, all is good! How's life? How are you all? Have you heard my good news? No? This is now being beta'ed! Are you all happy? I know I am! And you can thank Kaien Kurayami for that!**

**Sorry- I'm a little hyper at the moment...I can't really handle sugar that well~ **

**!One last thing, I've been getting a lot of messages calling Madara a PEDO! I shall inform you now that he and Sakura aren't going to go any further than a kiss on the cheek until she's at LEAST 16! So quit it with the harassment! I got so many reviews for the last chapter that I'm going to have to condense my answers a little...let's see now...!**

**This chapter is dedicated to Paper Reaper for being my 280th reviewer and Girlyoudontknow for my first fan art! Can you believe it? (Link at bottom!)**

**Shadow wolf fang, steedykatkane, Sakura022496, Guest#1, guest#2, Yomi Love Akasuna****,**** Yuchi1994, romyblossom, TDI-Ryro-Eclares****,**** eLiterature****,**** babydoll8901, MariDark****,**** AThickSliceOfCake, Goddess of WAR1Keeper of TIME****,**** angel897****,**** Miss Dany****,**** lol****,**** littleXmissXwolfyX****,**** Sarasrii****,****and**** DaRk-SnOw-FlOwEr24~**- thank you all for reviewing and here's your update!

**Ketsueki no Kuki**-I understand all too well, so you'll be happy to know that that's all the info she's getting on the future...maybe a few more dreams, but that's it. I want her to aim to change the future, not rely on the knowledge like a life source. And thank you so much for the review, I love long reviews~

**Greenyoshi77**-it will be awesome, and that is all I shall say~

**Pepergirl001**-thank you so much, it's nice to hear you enjoy reading it as much as I do writing it~

**Aliz117- **well~ I'm glad to be your first madasaku! Congrats on discovering the pairing of pure awesomeness~ I'm sorry that this chapter isn't any longer, but I shall lengthen the next just for you!

**Namikaze Mean**-ha ha, so true! Thanks for pointing those out, as I said above, I just got a beta to fix up my mess~

**Itachis rose**-*snort giggle* I totally forgot about that episode of avatar! *another snort giggle* virtual cake all-round! Cake cake cake CAKECAKECAKECAKE! I love cake and cookies~ thanks for the review~

**Delilah-smurple**- too bad :( I love manifest, it's one of the best con's I've been too. Thanks for the review! Hehehe totally Pein!

**Miss Chocolate**- ... why must you always read my mind? Do I have to start wearing a tinfoil hat to protect my plot from your all seeing powers?.. That is the only acceptable ending...but we'll see~

**Wealse-chan-** ha ha I loved writing that part, total I DO WHAT I WANT moment right there~ thanks for the review, it means a lot to me!

**Weapon D.E.A.T.H**-why thank you~ you're spoiling me, you really are. I love stories like that too, it's what made the evil little plot bunny known as paradise latch onto my hand and refuse to let go until I had started writing. Thank you for reviewing, I'm looking forward to seeing what you think of the next chapter then. *grin*

**Kaien Kurayami**- lol, really? Ok then...I can only tell you this...there may or may not be pie involved...I don't want to give it away!

**Glow593**- I love your reviews, I really do! Yeah, the seal looks kinda like Naruto's only without all the marking's surrounding it. I had to make older Sakura know who he really is, or else Naruto could have sprung it on her and made her doubt our fav mask wearing nin! Poor poor Pein :) thanks for the review!

**YawningNeko**-hehehe, so true. I love Tobi being protective; it just suits the pairing so much! He needs to protect little Sakura until she can protect herself.

**Black Emeralds**-well, here's Sasuke for you~ thanks for the reminder that I had to do his P.O.V. some time!

**Akatsukinashane**-sorry there's no Madara in this chapter, but he's withholding his sexy self until the next one~ but don't stop reading, the next chapter is all about them~

**HAPPY GLOWING CRYSTAL**- he he thanks for the review! I'm glad that it made sense, and how could older Sakura NOT want to protect Tobi/Madara? He's her 'best friend' *wink wink~*

**Inuyashaxxxlover-** hehe thanks for the review; I'm glad you like it! If everyone keeps reviewing I'm sure I'll get 350 in no time! There will be romance when she's older, as you pointed out she's only 13 at the moment~

**Girlyoudontknow**-...I love you...I really really do! THANK YOU THANKYOU THANK YOU~~~~~~

**PrettyChelsea**- well she doesn't know that, he was her best friend- always there for her when her team wasn't- so she would want to protect him. But thanks for pointing that out, you just gave me a great idea for something!

**Alexander Prudence Halliwell-** (dives under her bed and tosses Tobi under the wardrobe...) shh! Hehehe~*pulls out Sesshomaru plushie and places it in front of the bed.* sessy will protect us!

**Ravenwritingdesk**-thank you~ I love repetitive reviewers! Keep it up! I think so too, he's too godly for something like that, and he would totally order Konan to do it!

Disclaimer: I DONT OWN NARUTO!

ON WITH THE SHOW!

**I KNOW THIS CHAPTER IS SHORT, BUT I JUST NEED TO GET IT OUT OF THE WAY! I'LL ****FINISH**** THE NEXT ONE SOON! **

****UPDATED: 3/09/13 ****

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><p><strong>Sasuke's <strong>**P.O.V.**** (dun dun daaaaa~)**

She was different, strange.

Sure, she was an annoying fan girl, but she was also his teammate and that's what made him notice.

Something was wrong with her.

_Not that he cared._

She wasn't acting the same, no longer begging and asking him out or clinging to his arm constantly. Instead she almost avoided him, going out of her way to put distance between them when on missions or during training when they had to work on teamwork. It was a far cry from her usual clingy self, and he didn't know whether that was a good or bad thing.

It had all started during the mission to wave, that's when she began withdrawing from them.

Of course he had noticed it; he was an Uchiha after all.

It was subtle at first- following her completion of the tree climbing exercise- she had left for awhile, only to return...different. That was when she had stopped making her advances towards him, and he had noticed the contempt she had for them bud and grow from that point. He had felt the same thing towards Itachi, who always drew their father's praise, who never made time for him...who killed everything Sasuke had held dear. He had racked his mind for days until he had uncovered the reason for her sudden mood swing.

She wanted power.

She wanted to be strong like her teammates.

It had shocked him only slightly, but he could sympathise with her. Power was everything in the ninja world, if you didn't have it; you were as good as dead. And he could grudgingly respect her for that. To toss her feelings aside, to give up on getting his love, to slowly sever the bonds between her teammates- all for the power she would need to survive this world. And it was working for her.

He had noticed the slow growth of her chakra reserves, small-but still a noticeable improvement. She was also getting better with her aim, almost always hitting a bull's eye with her weapons during training. She was still way off from his or Naruto's level, but she was doing well considering her previous neglect to train. It was the fact that she was a teammate, someone that he would have to rely on that prompted Sasuke to take action. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed her and Naruto at this point in time, so he would help her to help himself.

If her contempt towards them was driving her sudden urge to train and cut bonds with them, then he would make sure she found no reason to regress to her fan girl persona. It seemed that solitude was what motivated her forward, so he had begun drawing Naruto's attention from her and purposely disregarding any attempts she made to speak with him- ignoring or putting her down when she did.

And it ...made him feel _guilty_ him to do so.

He would never admit it out loud, but he cared for her and Naruto- they were the only people to worm their way under his cold shell since the massacre. He knew he shouldn't have let them in, but they were so damn persistent. They would be in danger now, Itachi had warned him against letting people close with the threat of their death.

_Naruto_... well Naruto could take care of himself- as he had proven time and time again...Sakura on the other hand...

She was too soft; she let her emotions rule everything she did.

It was for her own good, if she withdrew from them and became more powerful, he wouldn't have to worry about her getting hurt or dying.

He just had to make sure he didn't push her too far...he didn't want her to turn out like he did.

Cold and unfeeling towards everyone that tried to help. Her bright smiles and laughter gone forever, Naruto would never forgive him if that happened. He wasn't sure he would be able to forgive himself either.

"I swear you're just as bad as Naruto, why don't you practice your jutsu and make the team stronger. Let's face it, you're actually worse than Naruto..." and he with that he walked away, leaving her standing there in shock.

He didn't go too far though, not with all these foreign ninja lurking about.

_'It's for the best__.__'_ he told himself as the twinge of guilt in his chest flared a little at the memory of her dulling green eyes. _'This is for her own good, she needs to get stronger.'_

He knew it was, but it didn't dull the feeling any.

He just didn't want to see her dead. His worst fears flashed before his eyes as he watched his teammates from his elevated position above them.

_Her green eyes __were__ empty and her pale skin chalky white, a pool of blood puddled around her fallen form as the last of her life faded. Her hand was still stretched in his direction, forever pleading for help he couldn't give. Itachi gazed impassively from his position above her, blood stained sword still drawn and covered in his team mate's life essence._

_There was just so much blood._

_He could practically hear Itachi's thoughts as he gazed from the pinkette to his little brother._

_'I did warn you Sasuke__.__'_

Snapping back to reality with a slight twitch, he looked beneath him at the confrontation taking place and decided now was the right time to intervene. He wasn't even paying attention to the older teen's threats until the red head appeared next to him, hanging upside down with a massive gourd attached to his back.

"You're a disgrace to our village." the boy couldn't have been more than a year older than them, and seemed to radiate an all too familiar presence. He zoned out once more, taking in every detail he could about the red head as he appeared on the ground and addressed Team 7 before starting to walk off.

Only to be interrupted by his pink haired teammate, whose words caused Sasuke to tense, ready to jump in at a moment's notice.

The red head was a killer, someone who wouldn't even think twice about murdering his team.

_'She should know better than to draw attention from someone like that__.__'_ Sasuke thought as he watched the black wearing teen gaze at her attentively, watching her with poorly masked curiosity.

He didn't even realise he had jumped down and drawn the foreign team's attention until the red head addressed him.

"My name is Sabaku no Gaara." he said before taking a moment to asses him. Good, now he wouldn't have to worry too much about Naruto getting them into something he couldn't handle. "I'm curious as to who you are as well."

"I am Sasuke Uchiha." he stated, full of confidence before locking his gaze with the boy,-Gaara- and attempting to stare him down...only to be interrupted by Naruto once more as he tried to introduce himself.

Only to be shot down as the older teen- Kankuro he guessed- decided to voice his curiosity towards Sakura.

He had never been so glad for Naruto's lack of manners.

This was bad, the boy had the potential to be extremely dangerous, and Sakura had just drawn his attention.

Didn't he have enough to worry about?

After watching the team leave, he settled to arguing with Naruto for a few minutes before becoming bored and heading home.

He wasn't so surprised when Kakashi showed up half way through his silent trek.

"How is my favourite little Uchiha this evening?"

"Hn" was all Sasuke could reply to his teacher's surprisingly chirpy attitude.

"Meeting at the bridge tomorrow, be there bright and early now~ I have some very important news for you all~" and with that he was gone in a cloud of smoke, leaving Sasuke standing there by himself once more.

3 guesses what that was about.

* * *

><p><strong>I got my first fan art!- blyzer. Deviantart art my- fanfic – fanart- 310877807**

A little insight on Sasuke- this is the first time I've actually written him! Did I do any good?

Ok, I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can; shit will go down, I can tell you that much.

Be prepared for anything.

**You should know the drill by now, but just for those who don't- please leave a review, I would really appreciate it~ no flames or just telling me everything you ****think**** is wrong with this fic.**

**Sakura-hime-sama**

...I need a Naruto character to do the intro's with me...any suggestions?


	17. Chapter 17

**I know, I know. I haven't updated in months- but I have now, and that's something right? I bet you freaked out when you saw this update "Is she REALLY updating, or is it something else….please don't be an AN!, please don't be an AN!" and here's the update! Just like I promised.~**

**I've been going through some stuff that really had me down; I just didn't want it to affect the story… I hope you understand…**

**84 REVIEWS FOR THE LAST CHAPTER! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME! Oh god****, I**** only just looked at it and….my mind is blown…..40,000 + hits? FUCK YES! I****'****m so excited. And guess what? 404 REVIEWS TOTAL! Ahhhhhhjwgle uifhwaefienkfwe ;l fieofmj….**

**Ps. decided not to go with the character intros. A few of you had some awesome points against it!**

**THANKS ****TO****:**

**Delilah-smurple, angel897, sakarami, Goddess of WAR1keeper of TIME, romeyblossom, Awesome, TDI-Ryro-Eclares, aki, Metallic Butterfly, Sakura022496, Mustache, Yuti-Chan, primrose panda, anielver14, Tobi, Chihori-chan, AkatsukiAgent9, Dear U.x.U, Weapon D.E.A.T.H, Guest, Amara-nii chan, Theristia, Miharu Kain, I, Carrie, D, acetwolf94, tigers16, Epic face101, light blossom and dark warrior, TheRamenNoodleGirl, Lexypink, Emily Le Fay, Ivette the Redwaller, Treason for Love, Nameless Charity, Servant of Evil, Fanboy, Elma Avalonia, sarah, Deathr0ses, D(again!), PleasePlease, hateme101, Anoni Mos, UniCryin, Sakura-Hime Uchiha Loves KPOP, angrypixels, IXLikeXTea, Guest 2, Lady-Luck72, Lolcatftw, Ketsueki no Kuki, Mayonaka Kurohyo-chan, SomeRandomGirl18, no name, slumberdollx, Tantalizing Kunoichi, KasonSama.**

**AND:**

**YawningNeko**- here's the Tobi and Sakura *sobs* I'm sorry for keeping you waiting!

**Cherryvampiress**-YES I WANT THE SEXY DEI! Don't tease meee~

**Wealse-chan**- thank you very much *glows at the praise*

**Miss Dany**- oh gosh, I made you wait for so long, I swear on my LIFE that I will never wait this long again!

**Ichigo Haruno**- wow you change your name a lot! *glows at the praise* you're awesome and funny too! I could never get offended~ (ducks over to the plushie and straightens it out.) :D

**91RedRoses-** thank you very much, it's assuring to hear that people like it~

**Akatsukinashane-** I kept you waiting *sobs and cries in corner* I sorry. But great ideas by the way, I might just use them! Sexy sexy Madara….

**Akira158**- yes, yes it shall have a little kanksaku!

**RainBow**- I-I-I…oh you're the best! Thank you so much, that's just what I needed to hear~ I hope you review again, you're just a pot of author goodness! You're too kind.

**Tobi's a bad boy-** Tobi, is that you? Oh gosh! Tobi, you're so sweet~ thank you very much!

**Miss Chocolat**- yep, it's Sasuke though, so what can you do? *shrugs* if you keep guessing my plots- I'll just have to make the twists something no one's ever seen before! Won't be able to guess them then, will you~….good point.

**Glow593**-hehe, I forget sometimes too. Thank you, it's nice to know you liked it, even if he was a little OOC.

**Hello-** you're just a great person, YOU deserve a pat on the back.

**Catinthehemlock-** THAT fish is smexy, yes he is~

**Lilium-** I don't find that a flame, it's great to see people trying to help me better my writing, thank you!

**Wingchan7-** thank you so much for that :) you're a great person!

**SexySelena666**- I'm sorry, I did do it to you all D: please accept this as a token of my forgiveness!

**Furuba-suzume-** EXACTLY! Thank you very much *grins*

**PiperDreamer**- thank you so much, it's great to get honest reviews, it always helps me better myself~ I'm glad you find it original, it's what I strive for- to do what no one has done before, and see if people like it (it may even inspire others to write as well)

**Essence of Soup**- oops? Sorry for keeping you waiting…

**RaccoonMetal-** I'm developing it slowly…but it will turn out for the best…that's all ima say~

**Loki7744**-OH MY GOSH? REALLY? YESS! TRANSFORMERS FTW! Ahem…you, are awesome!

**JeanyDeiXzz**- ahhhhhh! I could spend an hour replying to you..but I can't so, thank you very much!

**Alix177-** just got your review in on time, heheheheh~~~

_**I think it will have a lemon or two in the far off future-but I will probably post it on my deviantart because of the way they're going after those now**__**.**__** **sadface****_

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!

BIG THANKS TO THOSE THAT EMAIL ME TOO!- it's fun to talk to you all!

**UPDATED: 3/09/13 **

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><p>"<em>I-I promise<em>_.__" she wheezed and cried out in __pain as__ the pressure increased and a burning sensation suddenly flared around her belly button, like a red hot knife was carving something viciously into her insides. Falling to her side she clawed at her stomach, desperate for the feeling to stop hacking at her skin._

"_Then I leave you with a gift, something to help you when your life is in danger and your world seems to be crashing around you. It's my gift to help you stay alive and keep your promise to me, but it will only come to be when all the factors are met." With a shaky smile at the whimpering girl on the 'ground' "I'm sorry I can't help you more__.__" she commented softly before spitting out a mouth full of blood and fading into the surrounding nothingness, leaving the young __and__ pained pinkette alone in the suffocating silence._

_With a cry she looked around at the darkness, tears of pain rolling down her pale cheeks._

'_Please, I don't want to be alone, help me' she whimpered in her mind, unable to find the strength to speak out loud 'please...' and with that her consciousness faded once more._

**Sakura's ****P.O.V.**

Awakening with a scream lodged in her throat, Sakura shot up in bed and abruptly grabbed her head as black spots began to take over her vision. She was so confused, the darkness of the room surrounding her only panicking the poor pinkette more. Was it real? Or was it really just a dream? She couldn't tell right now, it was all just too much to take in.

'_Was it real or not?' _Became the only thought capable of crossing her mind at the moment, repeating over and over again, and became white noise as the seconds passed by.

The future, had she really spoken to herself from the future? Was she going crazy? Her mind felt so fogged up, Sakura could barely even think straight at the moment- too overwhelmed by the information and phantom pain. Tears stung her eyes as she held her throbbing head, the faint tugging sensation in her stomach pushed from her confused mind to be dealt with at a later date. She didn't even acknowledge the sudden weight next to her on the bed, ignoring the possible threat that came with it to instead begin rocking back and forth slowly.

'_It's too dark; I don't want to be alone! Bad things come when I'm alone!' _Zabuza's taunting, bandage covered face flashed across her mind followed quickly by the older Sakura's ragged one. The taunting and blood curdling laughs mixing into a haunting symphony.

"Sakura-chan?" a deep voice invaded her mind, causing her to flinch slightly and duck her head further into her hands. "Sakura, what's wrong, who hurt you?" the familiar voice prodded again, the soothing sound urging her to relax a bit.

'_Who are you? What are you doing here?'_ she silently asked the voice, jumping again when she felt arms envelop her in a hug.

"Sakura, answer me…" the voice said with a slight edge as a gloved hand drew one of her own from her face, tilting her head upwards as her other hand fell to her lap silently. Her wide, panicked eyes turned to the dark figure next to her as they adjusted to the faint lighting, tears flooding her face as she made out the form of her friend.

'_Tobi'_ with that name swept a rush of scenes, stopping suddenly with Naruto holding her and proclaiming her best friend dead, promising her it was for her own good, that she'd be better now.

Letting out a sound akin to a dying animal, she threw herself at him and clutched his shirt for dear life. "Hurt, it hurt SO _MUCH_, and you weren't there to help me, you were dead! They killed you, please don't die, I _can't_ let it happen! I promised! But it _hurt_, and it was so _dark_…it still hurts Tobi, please make it stop!" she pleaded incoherently, her tears running down her cheeks as she wept out her pain and confusion.

'_Please don't let me go back there, please!'_ and he wouldn't, because he was Tobi, and she knew he could save her if it happened again.

"Shhh, just take a deep breath Sakura." doing as he instructed and taking in a strangled breath she let it out in a gush, only to repeat the process somewhat smoother the next time. "Good girl, you're safe now. I won't let anyone harm you again." His verbal assurance soothed her as a shudder ran through her body, the tension easing out as a hand crept to her stomach. A soft green light flooded the room as warmth crept around her navel, the feeling drawing a relieved sigh when she noticed the lack of burning.

'_Medical nin jutsu' _she thought silently, her wide eyes returning to a somewhat normal size. Taking another slightly shuddering breath she gripped his shirt harder, pulling herself closer and into his lap. As the chakra over her stomach flickered out she flinched slightly, the tugging sensation returning dully as Tobi's arms wrapped around her again and smoothed her short hair calmingly. "Tobi…" was all she could manage, her shaking body seeking comfort in his embrace as her tears slowed their pace.

"That's it, just keep breathing, you'll be alright." His voice flooded her ears again, soothing away all the troubling thoughts, calming her until her breathing evened out. With all the other things gone from her head, Sakura fisted her hands more and laid her head on his chest, calming more with each rise and fall she felt.

'_He's alive, he's safe and he'll save me if it ever happens again.' _She repeated in her head until her tears ran dry. "He's here. He's alive and he'll save me if she tries to take me again." She mumbled softly to herself, closing her eyes and concentrating on his breathing to assure herself that it was true.

**Madara's ****P.O.V.**

_With an aggravated sound he picked up his sickle and made his way to a chair in the corner on the room, taking a seat on the old desk chair placed there, and began waiting for the pinkette to awaken._

'_Who did that to you Cherry?'_

The sight of her pinpricked eyes when he finally got her to look up at him drove an unfamiliar feeling through his chest. Concern, he was worried about her and he didn't know why… maybe it was the sound that wrenched its way from her mouth, reminding him of some that he'd killed, or maybe it was the way she clung to him with tears running down her face.

He honestly did not know.

Her rambling explanation only confused him more; did someone put her in a genjutsu? No, he would have known if they had and no one could have known that she knew him. So what was it then…the dreams!

"_I've been having these really weird dreams lately Tobi__.__" she said as he moved to cut another piece of her hair._

And… he must have been killed in one of these 'dreams'. He had looked into it, thinking that she may have a kekkei genkai but found nothing. But this, this was something else- something he had never seen before, making her all the more valuable to him_. 'It's too soon to question her about the dreams; she may run off if I don't wait awhile.'_ He thought to himself as he gazed down at the trembling pinkette, feeling her hands hold his shirt like a life line in a raging river.

"Shhh, just take a deep breath Sakura." he advised as his arms lay calmingly around her. Once he was sure she was somewhat breathing again, he began talking, lifting a hand to her stomach and flooding it with his chakra. "Good girl," he praised as she caught her breath "You're safe now; I won't let anyone harm you again." Despite knowing that no one was in here all night, it would calm her to hear his voice.

It had worked so far, why wouldn't it now?

Seeing her eyes return to almost the right size and hearing her take another deep breath, he let the chakra in his hand flicker out so as not to alert any patrolling ninja to his presence. Just as he did so, the young pinkette suddenly pulled herself into his lap with a slight flinch- drawing his attention from her navel. Wrapping his arms around her again, he began stroking her hair in hopes stopping her tears.

"Tobi…" he heard her try to say before cutting herself off and shuddering again, her tears slowing slightly. _'Shh Cherry, it'll be ok__.__'_

"That's it, just keep breathing, you'll be alright." Watching as her breathing finally evened out and she laid her head on his chest, he allowed his own mind to wander as she listened to his breathing.

'_Was it a kekkei genkai or something more? I'll need to look into this again-'_ his thoughts were cut off by the mumbled sentence the pinkette let out as she closed her eyes tightly.

"_He's here. He's alive and he'll save me if she tries to take me again." _

'_So it's a woman I'm after for hurting her, for putting that seal on her without my permission. But who would wish to harm the Cherry? She hasn't been on enough missions to make any enemies…'_ he trailed off with the thought as the pinkette tugged lightly on his shirt, trying to gain his attention.

"You won't let them get me again, will you?" having no idea what she was talking about, he could only assume it was to do with one of her dreams.

"Never" He said, surprising himself with the conviction in the announcement. "I'll never let them get you again Cherry, I swear."

"Thank you" she said in a soft voice, so soft that without his sharingan- he wouldn't know what she had said. "I'm not ready to die yet…" she trailed as she looked up at him with a smile and absolute trust layering her eyes.

'_Cherry…you're safe with me, I swear.'_

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><p><em><strong>Poor Sakura had a break down, but it's understandable…that would be overwhelming <strong>__**to**__** anyone.**_

_**I know it's a little short, but at least it's something right? Right?! Ahhhhh, I hope you're not too angry with me; I know the wait was annoying! I'm going over some of the chapters and fixing them up at the moment. I'll repost them when I'm finished~**_

_And I promise to those who want it, __we're__ heading towards the chuunin exams with the next chapter! I may even introduce a much anticipated red head**hint hint**_

**You should know the drill by now, but just for those who don't- please leave a review, I would really appreciate it~ no flames or just telling me everything you ****think**** is wrong with this fic.**

**Sakura-Hime-Sama**

_So, what's your favourite thing about my fic so far? I want to know what I'm doing right!_


	18. Chapter 18

**SURPRISE! ~ I think this chapter is the longest so far, annnnd- we're over the 50,000 word mark! Oh and just so you know…in case you haven't seen the … 453 reviews! I-I need to do something when we hit 500- I don't know what yet, but I'll do it!**

**On to other news, I made a cover~ kind of tacky- but it'll do until I find something better…*hint hint to any artists out there***

**I think I should get to the replies now…heheh! I'm just so happy!**

**Dedicated to-Ketsuki no Kuki- for making her embarrass herself in front of a cute waiter….(is very very sorry ^_^")**

**Big thanks to:**

**Tantalizing Kunoichi, UniCryin, Sakura-Hime Uchiha Loves KPOP, Delilah-smurple, PiperDreamer, Anon1, MoonShadow396, Wealse-chan, sarah, D, Kitiara Woodbane,XxWhitexKingxX, light blossom and dark warrior, Yuti-Chan, slumberdoll, baybysitting, twilightneko, 1Deivle, Hellcat-Sakura, Shadow Wolf, Awesome, glow593, hateme101, Sup, evilpinklollipop, yaoilover22, acetwolf94, MsShizukaChan, AwesomeNess123, CSikitty2224, TDI-Ryro-Eclares, ****and**** xXTobi'sGirlfriendXx**

**91RedRoses-** thank you so much, when I read this I was just about to go to bed- to say I woke up with a stupid grin would be too easy~

**Ketsuki no Kuki-**oh no, did you get the waiter's number? You have my sincerest apologies for making you get weird looks…(I'm evilly happy though, muahahaha) advice noted! I WUV YOU TOO- your reviews are much anticipated and I made sure to update quickly…enough.

**Theristia-** thank you, that was what I was aiming for~ ^_^"

**SexySelena666-** Madara and whipped cream on top? Can't we just have Madara and the whipped cream? Either are nice though (totally drooling right now…) UPDATE IS HERE!

**Fruba-suzume**- I would never AN you all! Believe meeee~ I know the pain… thank you for that, it's nice to know others notice this too.

**Cherryvampiress**- you, you are just so nice.

**KasonSama-** I hope this is more to your length liking (snorted while writing that ha) cookies! Omnomnomnom…

**Asredwer-** I like your view of things, it's nice to hear that people get what I'm trying to do.

**YawningNeko-** OMG YOU'RE BACK, I missed you~ Tobi FOREVER!

**Carrie-** I'm sorry it took so long for that update..hehehe ^_^' and I really don't like rushed stories- its way better to take your time with things.

**Tobi's a bad boy**- oh Tobi~, I missed you too- but why does your username say you're a bad boy?...

**Akira158-** I hope this is more to your liking (length wise) why can't I stop laughing every time I write that?) Don't we all wish for more Sakura-centric goodness?

**Wingchan7-** your review…oh gosh, you blew my mind (stop hitting yourself, why are you hitting yourself!?- hahahahah!) thank you for taking the time to type all that out, you made my day.

**Pluhsauce-** YOU are a fantastic reviewer~

**JeanyDeiXzz-** coz I can! Haha I love your review… I think I do the same thing with fic's I really like. And yes, this will go on for foreverrrrr~

**Nashane-chan-** oh I love hearing from you~ that's all I can say…hehee

DONE!

Disclaimer- I DON'T OWN NARUTO!

ON WITH THE SHOW!

**UPDATED: 3/09/13 **

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><p>"<em>That's it, just keep breathing, you'll be alright." His voice flooded her ears again, soothing away all the troubling thoughts, calming her until her breathing evened out. With all the other things gone from her head, Sakura fisted her hands more and laid her head on his chest, calming more with each rise and fall she felt.<em>

'_He's alive, he's safe and he'll save me if it ever happens again.' She repeated in her head until her tears ran dry. "He's here. He's alive and he'll save me if she tries to take me again." She mumbled softly to herself, closing her eyes and concentrating on his breathing to assure herself that it was true._

**Sakura's ****P.O.V.**

Taking another deep breath and tugging on Tobi's shirt, she waited quietly for him to pay attention before asking what had been flashing through her mind since calming somewhat. The execution, the stage, the sword through her heart and her own screams filled her mind briefly, tempting the pinkette with the hate and pain that shadowed the memory. But she could push the feelings aside because this man in front of her, her Tobi, wouldn't let her get hurt- he'd said so himself while they were in wave…

"Tobi," she asked quietly once she gained his attention. "You won't let them get me again, will you?" she needed this, to hear him say so, to calm her mind back to its usual state. It was working so far; she just needed this one more assurance from him.

"Never." The conviction in his voice was enough for her, but he kept going. "I'll never let them get you again Cherry, I swear."

"Thank you." she said in the softest voice she could manage. "I'm not ready to die yet…" trailing off and looking up at him with a smile, Sakura had no doubts that he would stick to his word.

'_Tobi, what would I do without you?'_ she questioned herself lightly before gazing to her window, startling slightly at the sight of the sun starting to rise. _'Is it that early already?'_

She could feel Tobi turn his face towards it as well, tilting his head and chuckling softly before gently moving her off of his lap and to the bed beside him. She changed her grip from his shirt to his arm as he moved her, unwilling to release him just yet- she didn't want him to leave.

"I'm not going anywhere Sakura, just relax ok?" he said and indicated to her alarm, casting a glare in its direction she sighed and pouted at the numbers. "But it looks like you'll need to get ready soon."

**6:14 ****A.M.**

She didn't want to leave him there but she had to start getting ready, Kakashi had informed her mother of an early meeting this morning since he couldn't locate her last night. In her mother's words the message was to "Meet at the bridge nice and early kiddo, he has news for you all."

This brought a twist to her gut; she wasn't keen on seeing her teammates so soon after learning her dreams were true… but the older her had mentioned that they weren't the same…

"_The events are different from the way I lived my life and everyone I had known does not act the way I remember." _She wasn't sure if she could trust the older Sakura's words- the amount of pain she went through in that dark place had put a damper on that. Remembering the incident she had pushed from her mind brought a gasp from the pinkette as she ignored Tobi's questioning sound and reached down, pulling her shirt up just enough to see the marking on her navel.

'_What IS THAT!'_ she though panicking, her eyes going wide again as she ran her hand over the mark and tried to wipe the black ink off. Slightly hysterical, Sakura continued trying to remove the marking until Tobi reached over and took a hold of her hand, drawing it away before she could hurt herself.

"Calm down Cherry, it won't hurt you anymore- I know that much." He assured her, Sakura looked at him as he moved off the bed to kneel in front of her, holding her hand and rubbing soothing circles across her palm as she let her shirt fall back into place.

"B-But what is it Tobi, why would she put a seal on me? I don't understand." Sakura said in a timid voice, looking at her friend and pleading for an answer with her eyes.

"I don't know who you're talking about Cherry, so I cannot answer that. But I won't let her hurt you again, just tell me who she is Cherry…" he asked her, she could hear the menace taking over the normally friendly Tobi's voice, and she was comforted by it- knowing that he'd help her whenever she needed him.

"Me, well, she's me but…she's not" Sakura said in a somewhat frustrated voice while glaring at the covered mark with anger and slight fascination. "I don't know how to explain it. Can we talk about this some other time; I really have to get ready."

'_Please don't press it Tobi; I don't want to remember…'_

She heard him let out a sigh a before moving to stand, his form towering over her sitting one as he gave a stretch. "Okay Sakura, I won't push for an answer, just promise me that you'll tell me sometime in the near future. I don't want you to get hurt again."

"I promise." Sakura managed to stop the flinch from crossing her frame, silently swearing to tell him once things had settled down.

"Now, I have to be going." He announced with a dramatic sigh, rushing to explain when she looked at him in panic, breathing out in a rush. "Just for today, I have important things that need to be done. We can spend some time together tomorrow- you have to be with your team today anyway." His honest words seeped into her mind, silently reminding the pinkette that he DID have a life away from her. She felt slightly guilty for wanting him to ditch whatever it was he needed to do, wanting him to be with her when she faced her team again.

Taking another deep breath, Sakura resolved herself slightly.

"Ok, that's fine… "

She could do this.

She could do this.

She…. _'Couldn't face Naruto again…'_ she let out a whimper, eyes slamming shut and her hands clenching into her blanket. Hearing Tobi ask her what was wrong made the pinkette open her horrified eyes, looking at his form in desperation.

"I don't want to see them yet…I did something horrible Tobi." she started, a blush creeping to her cheeks as he cocked his head in her direction with a silent question. "Well…ummm…" leaning forward slightly she exhaled and bit her lip, motioning him closer while gazing at her door, almost certain her mother would burst in the second the words left her lips. When he was close enough Sakura lent upwards, cupping her hand and whispering softly to him before pulling back abruptly as he threw his head back with a loud laugh-patting her on the back heartedly and moving to her window in mirth. Red in the face she watched as her friend pushed the glass open and perched on it, his chuckles dying down a little at the sight of her ashamed face.

"It's fine Sakura, if he's truly your friend he'll forgive you for it. Besides, he most likely deserved it a long time ago…" the amusement lacing his voice brought a small embarrassed grin to her face, soft lips parting slightly as the pinkette ducked her head again.

"I guess…..he was being annoying… I just don't want him to hate me Tobi. We're a team, teammates aren't meant to hate each other." Tobi just waved her statement off with a shrug, leaning backwards and bracing himself with his gloved hands.

"He won't hate you Cherry-chan, Tobi just knows these things~ and if he does- then I'll just have to deal with him myself." With her smile growing a little more, Sakura lifted her head again, running a hand threw her messy pink locks and pointing at him in fake accusation.

"You're speaking differently again." She stated bluntly, only to watch him disappear with a chuckle and wave, the falling leaves the only thing showing he was once there.

'_Well__,__'_ she thought to herself as the morning breeze rolled into her room _'time to get ready…'_

**-9:30 A****.****M- Team ****S****even's red bridge-**

The bright and warm morning was the only thing on Sakura's mind as she strolled over to the slightly worn railing, leaning onto it and gazing into the clear water running underneath them in a daze.

'_They are not going to hurt me.'_ She told herself again, the phrase had quickly become recurring during the past few minutes spent with her team. She KNEW they wouldn't do anything to hurt her, they never had before… physically at least. They weren't going to hurt her; she was just overreacting because of last night. They weren't going to hurt her, they were her team; they weren't the same as the older Sakura's teammates.

'_They are NOT going to hurt me, and if they DID try, I CAN protect myself.'_ She thought venomously, glaring at a stray leaf that had gotten caught in the slight current._ 'I CAN protect myself, it doesn't matter how much stronger they are, I…'_ looking off to the side discreetly, she watched as Naruto fumbled with his holster, laughing softly to himself with a grin as her gaze softened slightly. Doing the same to her other side, she watched as Sasuke lent against a pole, obviously irritated with Naruto. _'I… couldn't hurt them. Not even if I wanted to. They are NOT going to harm me…I know they wouldn't. ' _pulled from her thoughts by Naruto's voice, she turned slightly in his direction, only now noting that they'd been here for at least two hours.

"OH MAN! This is not fair! Kakashi-sensei ALWAYS makes us wait hours before showing up! I'm SICK OF IT!" he exclaimed, facing her and Sasuke as he stormed to the middle of the small bridge, pacing back and forth in anger. "He tells us to get here early, to not be late on threat of no lunch- I didn't even have time to brush my teeth or change my underwear! THAT STUPID SENSEI!"

Looking at him in slight disbelief, Sakura felt her eye twitch slightly, taking a subtle step back from him and silently realising that if Tobi hadn't woken her up, she'd have been rushed too_. 'Thank kami for Tobi…'_ she thought in relief.

"You…didn't? Naruto…" she trailed off stopping the rest of the words from leaving her mouth at the look crossing his face.

_Embarrassment._

He obviously hadn't meant to let that slip, looking at her with a slightly dejected face, most probably anticipating the harsh comment lodged in her throat. No…she wouldn't give him another reason to hate her- he had enough already. It was nice enough of him to pretend like yesterday hadn't happened, she supposed she could do the same now…

Letting out a loud sigh and leaning back on the rain again, she heard Sasuke let out a 'tsk' as Naruto started his rant about Kakashi once more.

Hearing the tell-tale 'poof' go off above their heads made her back stiffen, her motto re-starting at a new pace as Naruto and Sasuke drew to the centre of the bridge- Naruto yelling at Kakashi the whole way.

'_They are not going to hurt me.'_

Pushing off the rail with all the conviction she could find, Sakura slowly made her way behind her teammates, making sure to keep a slight distance from them- for her own sake of mind.

'_They are NOT going to hurt me.'_

"Now, I know this is a bit sudden" her silver haired sensei started, drawing her attention from the papers held lightly in his hand. "But I recommended you for the chuunin exams, all three of you." She felt her breath catch in her throat as he held the papers in front of them, the details now clear for them to see. "These are the application forms."

"Application forms?" she heard Naruto mutter at the same time as she did, her voice coming louder as she reached forward to take one.

"You're repeating me Sakura~" Kakashi chimed in, leaving Sakura with a stab of irritation as he went on to explain. "This is all voluntary; it's up to each of you. If you don't feel ready, you can wait 'till next year." Gazing at her application with a frown, she couldn't help but think back to all the books that referenced the exam.

'_Isn't it supposed to be taken as a team?'_ She wondered slightly _'maybe they're just changing it up a little.'_ Ignoring Naruto as he latched himself onto their sensei, she went over the many pros and cons that crossed her mind, determined to take some time to think it over. Rushing into things happened to be the downfall of many great ninja; she wouldn't follow in their footsteps.

Barely registering the room number to report to five days from then, she kept her eyes on the innocent piece of paper in her hand and followed after her teammates as they began to make their way to the training field.

Looks like another day full of 'observing' her teammates spar… joy.

**-Later that day: 4 P****.****M-**

She was right, all day she had nothing to do other than sit and watch her team- at least Kakashi-sensei let her practice her tree climbing for an hour or two before calling her back to train with her kunai.

Oh well, she'd had time to mull over the form in her pocket at least. It was a very tempting thought to just ignore it though, its printed ink forming an ominous shadow on her future.

Should she participate or just sit it out?

But…she found she wanted to do this, to show everyone that she wasn't a pushover, that she was strong enough to protect herself and her friends…friend. If she did this, she could prove herself, to everyone.

To Kakashi- he might let her participate in their spars then.

To Naruto and Sasuke- that she wasn't someone to be looked down upon and protected.

To-to the older Sakura…to show that she COULD protect her friend, no matter what.

Walking down the sunny path with her teammates, she could tell this experience would make her stronger, maybe even strong enough to gain their respect…

Watching their backs as they strolled a few meters in front of her, she took a calming breath and sped up slightly, marching to Naruto's right and keeping pace with them as they exited the training fields and made their way back to town.

She'd take the night to think it over, just to be sure.

**-The next day: 10 A****.****M –**

She had been surprised that morning, walking out the front door to find Tobi leaning on the post just to the left of her house. His long sleeved shirt, gloves and green scarf hadn't changed at all; leaving her to wonder how he handled the heat… she'd be dying if she wore that much black. He had waved at her cheerfully, motioning her over before giving her a hug and asking her to show him around. It was strange walking around with him in the open, she had gotten used to the secrecy that seemed to shadow their friendship. When she finally asked him why he wasn't hiding, all he commented on was the influx of foreign shinobi flooding the village for the exams.

This wasn't the first time she was floored with the childish man's intelligence, and she was certain it wouldn't be the last.

They had finished the tour an hour or two later, retreating to a nearby roof top to talk away from the prying ears and eyes of the villagers. They could be real vultures when they wanted to be and honestly, if she got one more curious look from the visiting shinobi, she was going to snap.

You'd think they'd never seen a pink haired ninja before.

Leaning back onto the raised wall of the roof, Sakura wrapped her arms around her knees, hugging them to herself and sighing. She had told Tobi about the application form and felt much better for it, he had been a big help in deciding what she wanted to do, asking her reasoning and motivation for it- so she had told him…minus that part about wanting to protect him, boys always had pride issues with things like that.

"Well Sakura, it's ultimately up to you. DO you want to participate?" Tobi asked lying on his back just off to her right with his arms folded behind his head. "IS it something you want to do?"

'_Is it?'_ Was it something she wanted to do?

"Yes." She answered after a moment's hesitation, surprised by the determination lacing her voice.

"Then there's your answer, go for it." He stated turning his head in her direction, his long hair pooled around his head and back as he propped himself up with his arms. No matter how many times she had seen it, his mask would always bring a smile to her face-it was just so bright and happy. Their first meeting played through her head as she wondered what would have happened if she'd just stayed with her team.

No, it's best not to ruin a good time like this.

Letting out a laugh, she started chanting 'chuunin exams' happily, chanting faster when his deep laugh joined hers only to be cut off by a familiar voice from the mostly empty road below.

"Hey." Tilting her head and twisting around, Sakura turned to the street and looked in shock as her silent teammate looked back at her.

"H-Hey Sasuke, what's up?" what was going on? He never talked to her outside of team building and training…

"Let's take a walk, just you and me." Was all he said, Sakura frowning at the prickling sensation that formed when she looked at him.

Something wasn't right with this picture…

Sensing Tobi shift a little to her side, she felt her frown grow and cast her gaze to him quickly before looking back to Sasuke. "Um…I-I'm sorry Sasuke, but I'm with a friend right now." Seeing 'Sasuke' frown in confusion, she bit her bottom lip in thought. "Could he come too?" she asked suddenly, watching Tobi sit up straight from the corner of her eye, shifting to her side as she motioned him to stay quiet. Seeing her 'teammate' show emotion, even just a little was what tipped her off, this wasn't her comrade. "Please?"

"S-sure" the imposter said, drawing himself to stand straighter and put his hands in his pockets.

Now she knew it wasn't him, Sasuke didn't stutter.

"We'll be right down!" she called to him with a grin before moving to kneel next to Tobi with a grim look. "That's not my teammate Tobi, why would someone try to trick me?" she whispered to her mask wearing friend as he lifted himself to stand, gazing down at whoever it was with a tilted head. "Will you come with me? I can handle it… I just… in case something goes wrong, ya know?" she asked quietly, looking at him intently as he moved to the edge of the roof with a thumbs up in her direction.

"Sure Cherry-chan, I'll be your backup- you can count on Tobi." Was all he said before jumping to the ground and landing next to her supposed teammate, making her crack a smile as he waved her down excitedly.

She knew she could count on him.

As they made their way through the streets, Sakura kept an eye on the imposter, carefully leading him and the unusually quiet Tobi threw the streets and out to the training fields. She made sure to keep herself between her two companions at all times, making small talk with 'Sasuke' whenever he turned his gaze to her best friend.

It didn't matter who it really was, if they tried to hurt Tobi- she'd do her best to stop them.

Finally coming to Team Seven's training field, she began her interrogation, hoping to find a clue as to who it really was…

"Hey Sasuke, how come all of a sudden you want to walk with me?" she made sure to keep her voice light, her smile felt almost painful to keep intact. She had noticed Tobi take a few steps to the side a little while ago, slowing down to walk behind them.

He was letting her deal with this herself, but she could tell he'd have her back if she needed the help.

The imposter kept walking as she came to a stop, slowing as his voice filled the air. "Because I need to tell you…to give up on the chuunin exams" He stated while turning to her, leaving Sakura impressed. He had Sasuke down pat, almost to a tee- the only thing he was missing was the uncaring nature and emotionless face. "There's no way you can pass them Sakura."

Lowering her head she let out a sigh, amusement seeping into her voice slightly as she began speaking. "Yeah, I was afraid of that, you're right…" she could feel Tobi moving slightly behind them, and she could tell he was chuckling softly. It was the most Tobi'ish thing to do in the situation…

"These ninja are very advanced and they have no mercy, if you try to fight them you could lose your life." Man this guy was good, but…she could feel the blanketing chakra faintly covering the area just like….just like what Kakashi pulled during their first test! It was a genjutsu! Doing her best to keep this revelation from showing on her face, she raised a hand behind her back and flashed Tobi a '_release_' signal, hopping he got the message.

'_Gotta make this work'_ she thought, summoning up every bit of courage she could find and grinning to the imposter in joy.

"But Sasuke! You're telling me this because you care about me!" she cheered, silently channelling her inner Tobi and raising her hands to her face in joy. Silently snickering at the look the person threw her way.

"I-I ah, I guess that's true…" he trailed off as he looked at her, a crackling voice filling the area as the imposter's chakra flared minutely, almost to subtly for her to notice.

Almost

Careful to keep an eye on the imposter, she turned her gaze to the Genjutsu behind him, dramatic shock playing over her face as he started talking. "HAHAAArrrr, two sweethearts, how touching~"

The imposter plastered an irritated look on his face before threatening the fake figure, Sakura barley even paying attention to it as she focused on keeping her act up.

"Careful Sasuke!" she called as Sasuke ran into the fight, just like the real one would. She had to visibly restrain the twitch that coursed through her body at the sight of her teammate's pin cushioned body. They may not get along too well, and he may have killed her in an alternate life, but he was still her teammate and the sight of him like that struck a cord in her.

'_It's not real, all of this is fake.' _She thought as the dust covering the area cleared up, the genjutsu doing its job and trying to draw her attention to the hat wearing man. With a shuddering sigh she braced herself and ran to 'Sasuke's' side, a cry of his name leaving her lips and her short hair trailing behind her, the thumbs up to Tobi the only thing telling him she still hadn't fallen for the illusion.

"HA HA HA" the genjutsu cried as her form hunched over the fake Sasuke's body. She had sensed the shift, whoever it was had used a substitution while in the dust, the bloody clone she was leaning over looked so real… "He's finished! And that's how you'll end up, if you take the chuunin exams."

Her body gave another shudder as she finally lifted her head, silently laughing as she clutched her sides. Feeling Tobi make his way over and stop just behind her silently, she took her time to explain.

"Oh gosh, I'm no idiot. I saw right through that genjutsu of yours from the first moment, and I think you need to brush up on your acting skills- because I've been playing you since I first heard your voice in town and you never noticed a thing." Sakura declared confidently, taking the time to stand up and brush off the front of her dress.

"What…" the genjutsu cried, staying in its position.

"Do you really think Sasuke would invite me out? And he's never worried about us; you need to do more research on your targets…. But as fun as bragging is, I'm sick of talking to an illusion." Tuning out his words, she completely ignored the umbrella thrown her way, calmly walking over to Tobi and taking a seat next to him as the illusion disappeared.

'_I can see why Naruto spends so much __time__ mouthing off to our opponents…'_

"You did well Cherry-chan, you handled that remarkably." Tobi said as he put a hand on her shoulder, giving her a thumbs up with the other hand. Looking up at his bright orange mask calmed her slightly ruffled composure, a soft smile spreading over her face as she looked around the field.

"While we're here Tobi, do you want to see how far I've gotten with that technique you left me?" Sakura asked with an eager edge to her voice, looking for a distraction from what just happened. Seeing his nod made her bring a hand out between them, her chakra gathering to the ends of her fingers with a practiced ease then slowly building outwards into their renowned point. Feeling Tobi take her hand, she focused on keeping the chakra even as he held it closer to view. She was proud when a small sound made its way from behind his mask, just audible to her trained ears.

_Shock and fascination_

"Well done cherry, I honestly didn't think you'd get it that fast…you have four days until the tests begin correct?" he asked, his voice taking on an eager edge like her own as she turned her hand slightly more, viewing it from a different angle.

"Yeah why?"

"Because cherry, I'm going to show you how to use this technique to its full potential." He stated, turning his masked face from her hand and to her own and tilting his head in question. "Will you try your hardest?"

"Like my life depends on it." She answered, determination seeping into her eyes as she looked up to the clear sky. "Anything to give me an edge during this exam."

To be honest, she was more excited at the prospect of spending the next few days with him, but she wouldn't say it out loud.

Something told her though, he already knew.

**-Later that night-**

**Kakashi's ****P.O.V.**

"So," he questioned his friend "how did they go?"

"They all made it, your squad and the other 9 genin proved themselves ready for the exam." The raspy voice behind him replied, followed by a tell-tale poof and softer voice of Iruka. "You were right Kakashi, they're good. They've all developed very impressive skills."

"Mm, but the chuunin exams can break anyone," he stated, looking out over the village from their place on the roof tops. "We'll see if they can tuff it out."

"There is one thing though…" Iruka trailed off, looking at the horizon intently.

"And that would be?"

"Have you lectured your team about getting close to the opponents yet? It's not good to have them forming friendships with foreign nin when they could be forced to kill the person during the exam."

"They're smart kids Iruka, I'm sure Naruto will figure that out soon." Kakashi joked, turning to his friend with a hidden smile.

"Yeah...if you're sure…"

**-Four days later: Academy grounds-1 P****.****M-**

"Sakura!" Naruto called as the pinkette strolled up to them, panting and covered in dust. "Hey, you're late- you're not taking after Kakashi are you?" he asked, grin taking over his face as she laughed slightly, each of the three silently cursing the day they took after their sensei.

"Yeah, I'm sorry guys; I had something I needed to do." Sakura said, grin spreading over her face as she waved with her bruised hands. "Good morning boys, have a nice time training?"

"Heck yeah, I spent the whole time at the field! Just wait until they see what I can do- the old man will be begging me to take his job!" The blond cheered as he looked to the front doors.

"Hn" was Sasuke's only comment as he stood from his slouch and began towards the entrance.

'_Well, at least some things never change…'_she thought while following behind the two as they began towards the new challenges that awaited their team. None of them noticing the silent redhead watching from the window above, only leaving when they had made their way out of sight.

* * *

><p><strong>That's it for now, and the longest chapter so far- so I don't want to hear anything about the length okay people?.. people?! And yes- she did train with Madara, and no, I'm not telling you what she learned yet- wait a little bit it won't kill you~<strong>

Okay, attention everyone- I have FOUR things to ask of you all this time!

1. Would any of you be interested in reading a one-shot about the older Sakura? Just a little info about her life and how she met Madara-nothing too big.

**2. So, who's your favourite character and why? I got a message the other day asking why I liked Sakura so much ('when we ALL know she's useless')and it really made me happy to remember all the things I like about her as opposed to the horrible things people say, and I'm just hoping to brighten someone's day with this question as well.**

3. COMPITITION! …A COMPITITION? YES, YOU JUST HEARD RIGHT! I'm severely lacking in motivation lately and need something to get me going again. If you could leave a Prompt (anything really) and Sakura pairing (not just from Naruto, crossover pairings work too.) in your review or PM me. I would appreciate it greatly- I'll pick the most interesting and write it up with a dedication to that person. You don't have to though, but I would appreciate it if you could -_-"anything goes…

_4. Who else had read chapter 599… let's leave it at that…_

**You should know the drill by now, but just for those who don't- please leave a review, I would really appreciate it~ no flames or just telling me everything you ****think**** is wrong with this fic.**

**Sakura-hime-sama**

**P.S! I just started a blog to keep you all updated on my progress with my fics- I'm also slipping in some teasers as I go- so make sure to check it out for me! - the link is on my profile if this one ****isn't**** working!**

**hime - samas - big - book - of - fanfic - teasers . blogspot . com . au /**


	19. Chapter 19

I know this one is short, but I wanted to get it out of the way so I can get to the goooood stuff! Damn, 509 Reviews! And yes, I did do something to commemorate it! I started a blog, just to keep you all up to tabs with my progress, somewhere I can put teasers and little bits of info for you to read. It's so fun :) I've been putting up bits and pieces of anything and everything Fanfiction related that comes to me, so I hope you like it!

The link is on my profile for anyone interested, I'll chuck one at the bottom as well, please check it out~

Now, I think I should do the review thing~:

**Whisper, no name, AnjuHime, angelpanda-chan, Lolcatftw, smexyforever, Myriade, Wealse-chan, hateme01, acetwolf94, JashinsDeadAngel, Goddess of WAR1keeper of TIME, TDI-Ryro-Eclares, xXTobi'sGirlfriendXx, sakuraXgaara2109, evilpinklollipop, Yuti-Chan, MistakenMusic, L, .7946, History-Addict29, HAPPY GLOWING CRYSTAL, TheRedGirl0000000000, AwesomeNess123, momoXvolturi, Onion Bay, pepergirl001, UniCryin, Toreh, Miharu Kain, Sarah, Shadow Wolf, Chihori-chan, 91RedRoses, Asarin159 –**Thanks for reviewing, every one of you brighten my day and bring a smile to my face!

**Shadow Wolf**- update is here!

**Ericalpatt**- I hope you enjoy this one then! Thank you for reviewing!

**Nifoi-** thank you so much, it's nice to get feedback :) I enjoy honesty. Anyway, thanks for the review- sorry this is a little short.

**JeanyDeiXzz**- if I wrote to you for an hour, I don't think I would have any room for other replies though! Hahaha, thanks for the review….number 500 might I add. I'm still waiting on those shots~

**Glow593-** thanks~ it's nice to hear from you- one of my most loyal reviewers~~~

**Angel's Garden**- that was my goal, I like making Sakura likeable~ also helping her grow as a character.

**TabKinesis-** really? It is? I am a happy writer, you just made my day~

**Kalafina94-** I know the feels, I honestly spoilt myself…I don't find real men attractive…except a rare few~ thank you so much, it's nice to hear that you think that!

**Missmocha77**- you, my good sir/madam, are hard to contact. I have written your prompt and it's been posted…I hope you like it :D

**Gothic-Porcelain-** yes, there will be romance, sometime in the future~ she will fight someone (not telling)..You'll have to wait for the rest just like everyone else~

**PiperDreamer-** haha, I have yet to have the time to write them~ but I will get to it eventually… thanks for the continuous reviews, it means a lot to me.

**Cherryvampiress**- I know~ its confusing, can't he just make up his mind already? I have sooo many people to apologise to…..damn it, why couldn't it just be Madara? At least that was a GOOD plot twist…

**Tantalizing Kunoichi**- you know you love it :P

**Furuba-suzue**- yeah, she's still a bit too young to fall for him, but that won't stop it for long :D, you're the only person to actually comment on Iruka seeing Madara, I find that VERY funny! Hehehe~

**Sakura-Hime Uchiha Loves KPOP**- Thank you very much :D, I can't wait until I get to write it! I hate the Sakura hate- it's kinda redundant but still…, yeah, she's a more human factor in the show. I love long reviews; I don't mind at all, you're one of my fav reviewers!

**YawningNeko-** nice to hear from you again! hehe- Tobi- manly….I should write something on that...he needs to show his manliness every once in a while.

**KasonSama**- I'll have to look into that, see if I can learn something new about Sakura, it sounds like a good fic :D thanks for the review!

**Slumberdollx**- you're not the only one, not only did I cry when Itachi died, I also bawled like a little kid during Deidara's death….oh gods, why must all my favourite characters die? I'll be sure to check the site out, thanks a bunch :D

ANYWAY! ON WITH THE STORY!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**UPDATED: 3/09/13 **

* * *

><p>"<em>Sakura!" Naruto called as the pinkette strolled up to them, panting and covered in dust. "Hey, you're late- you're not taking after Kakashi are you?" he asked, grin taking over his face as she laughed, each of the three silently cursing the day they took after their sensei.<em>

"_Yeah, I'm sorry guys; I had something I needed to do." Sakura said, a grin spreading over her face as she waved with her bruised hands. "Good morning boys, have a nice time training?"_

"_Heck yeah, I spent the whole time at the field! Just wait until they see what I can do- the old man __will__ be begging me to take his job!" The blond cheered as he looked to the front doors._

"_Hn" was Sasuke's only comment as he stood from his slouch and began towards the entrance._

'_Well, at least some things never change…'she thought amusedly, following behind the two as they began towards the challenges that awaited them._

_None of them noticing the silent redhead watching from the window above, only leaving when they had made their way out of sight._

**Sakura's ****P.O.V.**

Dusting off the front of her dress discreetly, Sakura trailed slightly behind her teammates as they made their way through the front doors and into the crowded building. There were magnitudes of foreign teams scattered around the hallways, some looking lost while others looked to be eyeing off the competition, just waiting for the chance to strike. They were the ones she kept her eye on as she strolled past, the tension in her body only relaxing when they disappeared from sight.

'_Don't get comfortable with anyone during these exams Cherry-chan, not even your own teammates.'_ Tobi's voice echoed through her troubled mind, a small reminder of the things to come. _'Everyone is your enemy during this; don't let them have the advantage. At the very least keep an eye on anyone that crosses your path, for your own safety.'_ She had honestly thought Tobi was just being paranoid, his own experience with his teammate affecting him. But no, she shouldn't have doubted her friend, he was_ always_ right. With the way some of these supposed teammates were eyeing each other, she had all the more reason to worry.

Maybe…maybe she should be just a little more wary of Naruto and Sasuke, if only until the exams finish. Maybe her recent paranoia would come in handy for something after all, she would just have to give into it for a little while, stop fighting it off. With a sigh the pinkette lifted her gaze to their backs, watching as they silently raced to get to the top of the stairs. It was ridiculous; they were just succeeding in painting targets on their backs; hers too by association.

Slowing slightly and dropping back a little more, Sakura turned her eyes around the stairwell, frowning as she picked up the blanketing feel of chakra again. That feeling only increased as they finally reached the third floor, or well, the supposed third floor. With her face taking on a slightly indifferent look, Sakura gazed around at the sudden influx of genin filling the hallway, all gathered around a doorway while two seemed to be knocked to the floor in the center.

Could they not tell this was only the second floor? That this was a genjutsu?

Biting her bottom lip subtly, Sakura walked up behind Naruto and Sasuke, hanging just off to the left so she could get a better view of the situation.

'_What in the world is going on? We're not meant to be fighting until the __proctors__ say __it's__ ok.' _Releasing her bottom lip, she reached up and brushed a stray strand of hair back behind her ear, a frown showing just slightly on her face as she listened in.

"You think this is a joke? Chuunin are qualified to LEAD missions, the lives of your squad members are in your hands so you better be tough enough to take the heat." One of the two 'boys' guarding the door said, turning his eyes and smirking to the brown haired girl on the floor. "Delicate little girls don't belong here." He said before his partner chimed in as well "We're just thinning out the herd, so just go home and play with your dolls."

She could faintly feel the chakra blanketing the two, almost like soft breeze in the summer. It was strange to say the least; the genjutsu was obviously cast over them as well. Sakura sucked in a sharp breath as Sasuke stepped forward, stiffening as his cold voice leaked into the now silent hallway, drawing everyone's attention.

'What is he doing? Now isn't the time for showing off!' she thought furiously before exhaling and shifting her hand to lean casually over her holster, her muscles straining slightly as a few eyes turned to her.

Had they never seen a pink haired ninja before? She wasn't used to this much attention, especially from future opponents.

"Real nice speech" Sasuke stated, stepping up to the two. "Now step aside and let me through. And while you're at it, release the genjutsu, we can see through your illusion anyway. We're going to the third floor." He said it as if it was nothing important; like he didn't care everyone was watching their every move, sizing them up and determining whether they were a threat. Why was he doing this? He wasn't usually this bold with things…

"Well well" one of the boys muttered, looking quickly to his partner. "So you noticed the genjutsu huh?"

Sasuke had a slight smirk on his face as he tilted his head in her direction, a faint look of surprise showing on his face when he noticed her distance from them. "Go ahead, tell them Sakura, I'm sure you saw it before anyone else did."

"Huh?" everyone had turned their eyes to her, some narrowing in suspicion and others with curiosity. Sakura could feel the sweat beginning to gather on her forehead, her throat closing up as Naruto grinned at her.

What was he doing? Why was he purposefully painting a target on her back?!

"You have the sharpest eyes and the best analytical skills on our squad, you must have seen this coming a mile away." He finished, turning his attention back to the boys guarding the door, smirk firmly in place.

Eyes- there were eyes watching her every move, mutters spreading through the surrounding crowd.

_Eyes watched from all around as she was led up onto the elevated platform, cheering was heard from ninja and civilian alike as she coughed behind her gag._

"_Any last words traitor?" a cold voice came from behind._

_She could feel his eyes watching her as she stumbled slightly in the mist, her newly severed hair still falling around her feet as she gazed around, ready for anything._

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Sakura felt the glare coming to her face, directed straight at her dark haired teammate's back. Why was he doing this? She didn't know how to deal with everyone watching her at the moment, waiting to hear her response. "S-second floor…" she muttered, just loud enough for everyone to hear as Naruto took it upon himself to get everyone's attention again as the hall shimmered and the room number changed.

Ignoring the muttering that had broken out around them, Sakura felt a familiar weight taking root in her chest again, the bitterness on her tongue as it flared slightly.

Resentment

For putting her in a position she didn't want any part of.

As the boy with the spikey hair made a noise of contempt, she took a deep breath and held it for a second or two, trying her best to calm down.

"Heh, well aren't you the smart ones." He mocked "So you noticed an illusion." as he snorted lightly and darted forward, Sakura couldn't help the reflex to draw chakra to her hands.

She had Tobi's drills to thank for that.

'_React at the first sign of danger Cherry, if you don't- you're as good as dead.' _His deep voice instructed from her mind, she could recite it perfectly with the amount of times she'd heard it said.

Feeling the chakra pooling in her arms, she flexed her fingers slightly and tensed her arms.

'_Be ready for anything, don't be caught off guard!' _she thought furiously, only for just that to happen as the boy who had previously been on the floor darted forward, his bandaged arms catching Sasuke and the boy off guard-stopping their attacks in place.

Looking at his spandex wearing form Sakura fought the urge to wrinkle her nose, instead taking note of the muscles hidden over his body and the faint scars covering what little of his hands she could see. Looking to the bruises on her own, she felt the realisation of its meaning come to her.

'_How often would he have to train to get those?'_ she honestly had no idea, and she had only glimpsed a slimmer of his hands….how strong was this boy? Letting the chakra in her arms flow properly again, she tuned out during his teammates arrival, watching the two boys that were guarding the door leave before looking to Naruto with a frown and opening her mouth to speak.

Only to be interrupted by said spandex wearing Nin appearing in front of her with a determined look.

"My name is Rock Lee, you are Sakura right?" he asked, a slight blush covering his cheeks. Taking a step back and frowning slightly, she nodded reluctantly before waiting for him to continue. "Please be my girlfriend! I vow to protect you with my life!" he announced, giving her a thumbs up and a shining grin. She could feel the twitch developing over her eye, Sasuke's blank face in the background only adding to it.

It was nice and all, but she didn't WANT to be protected, she wanted to stand on her own two feet.

When would people understand that?

"Um…" was all she could get out, shaking her head in denial and stepping back further at his dejected face.

"Whhhy?" he mumbled out, his mood plummeting.

"Beca-" she cut herself off, remembering where they were and holding her opinion. She didn't want anyone to hate her; she didn't need a bigger target on her back. At his depressed look, she bit her lip, silently thinking of a way to let him down without hurting his feelings, only to be interrupted by Naruto's loud laughter as he moved over to them, grin on his face.

She tuned out the conversation between Sasuke and Lee's teammate, choosing instead to watch as Lee gravitated to the wall, a depressed aura surrounding him.

She knew that feeling all too well, Sasuke had brought it up too many times to count… but she wasn't the type to date for pity, it was an insulting thing to do.

'He'll find someone. But now isn't the time to think about these things.' Watching as Naruto appeared next to him, his own depressed aura seeping around the hall, she bit back a sigh and looked to Sasuke again.

Damn it, now wasn't the time for antics, there were potential enemies watching their every move, weeding out their weaknesses.

Naruto seemed to perk back up again, calling their attention and prompting them down the hall. With another sigh developing, Sakura followed, only to wince and frown as he started yelling.

"ALRIGHT! We are so awesome! Kickass! We'll win these exams no problem! Believe it!"

"Hn"

"SHUT UP SASUKE-TEME!"

Enough was enough.

**Random ****P.O.V.**

"Heh, so that's the bunch of misfits Kakashi and Guy have been going on about." Izumo said, peering out from behind the cracked doors. "I guess they passed their first test, getting their applications through."

"Right" Kotetsu agreed before releasing his disguise, his friend doing the same. "Looks like the exams are going to be fun this year."

"Yeah for us, but not for them. Hmmm…You did catch that though, didn't you?" Izumo said, motioning to the retreating pinkette's back. "It seems someone has taken the exams motto to heart." with a slight chuckle he watched the pinkette trail slightly behind her teammates, eyeing their every move as the blond Kyuubi host motioned them towards the next floor. The tension in her form as the Uchiha and Uzumaki started fighting tripled, her eyes moving between her teammates and the surrounding ninja before she dropped back a little more, catching the blond's attention and speaking to him quietly before heading off through the door on her own.

As she went off, they could hear the blond begin speaking about meeting her further up, obviously not caring that the enemy teams were within hearing range.

"Trust no one and do what you must to survive…"Kotetsu added, watching as she walked from sight, the Uchiha watching with a disinterested look and the blond pouting at the floor."She's been watching them like a hawk since they got here. I don't know what Kakashi's been teaching her... I thought he was all about teamwork? " he asked before looking to his friend for an answer.

"Either he's started preaching distrust or she's learning it on her own." The brown haired man stated with a curious edge to his voice.

"Well, you need to be distrustful to survive in our line of work; she just seems to be learning quicker than the rest. Looks like the last Uchiha might not be the only one to watch during the finals, just wait until some of the older nin pick up on Pinkie's change too." Kotetsu chuckled out with a smirk before disappearing with a 'poof', his friend trailing close behind with an exasperated shake of his head.

**Sakura's ****P.O.V.**

"Naruto- Sasuke," she called, edging closer to him and Sasuke before looking around. "I need to go to the bathroom; I'll meet you at the check in ok?"

"Aww, really Sakura? Can't you just hold it?- "Do what you want, just don't be late." Sasuke interrupted, a small smirk on his face as he eyed the spandex wearing Nin who seemed to be following them.

"See you soon then boys." She mumbled, hurrying off down another hallway, breathing a sigh of relief as she finally felt alone. Closing her eyes and turning another corner, Sakura came to an abrupt stop, a slight pressure on her nose being the only thing stopping her from advancing in her quest for peace and quiet.

Opening her eyes she found herself just centimetres away from a certain red headed sand Nin, a tiny wall of sand having stopped her from getting any closer. Quickly stepping back with a jumbled apology Sakura looked at the trio, tensing up and subtly moving her hand to her kunai pouch.

The red head just gazed at her impassively, his pale eyes seemingly staring into her soul. His teammates though, well that was another story.

The blond had a stricken look on her face, her posture tensed as if to jump in if needed.

And the guy with the war paint had a curious look on his face, a smirk coming to it as he noticed who she was.

"Well well, if it isn't pinkie. You look a little lost, wanna tag along with us? Can't have a potential opponent disqualified for not showing up in time." He said, tilting his head and looking to the blond. "3rd floor right?"

With wide eyes, Sakura looked at the trio, their postures relaxing as she took another step back and forced her hand away from her pouch. Catching the red head's eye again, she could see the spark of recognition within them as he subtly looked to her hair.

"Come" was all he said as he slowly made his way past, his two teammates bickering between themselves and forcing her along by walking a few steps behind her, not even giving her a chance to speak.

What had she gotten herself into?

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><p><strong>Sorry about the length, I know you want it longer…(that's what she said) but I just needed to get this out of the way, so I can get to the good stuff~<strong>

**A tiny bit of Kankuro and Gaara action for those interested~ coz I can!**

**Be sure to check out my blog for info on my updates and random thoughts and ****fics**** that may never make it here…..****I**** already have a little teaser for the future of this fic, just a picture and a small bit of writing~ you know you want toooo~**

(you should know what all these start with :D)

hime - samas - big - book - of - fanfic - teasers . blogspot. com. au/ (if this isn't working, the link is on my profile!)

Feel free to talk to me at any time (please do, I get bored)! I love hearing from you all, as those who PM me know~

**You should know the drill by now, but just for those who don't- please leave a review, I would really appreciate it~ no flames or just telling me everything you ****think**** is wrong with this fic.**

**Sakura-Hime-Sama**


	20. Chapter 20

TWO UPDATES IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS?! WHAT TYPE OF WITCHCRAFT IS THIS?! No, this is no type of witchcraft, this is just a very happy author who woke up to more than 50 emails this morning :D all from you people! I feel so loved… and it's chapter twenty, what a milestone to reach!

**Time to respond to the reviewers:**

**AwesomeNess123, Emzy2k11**- thank you for reviewing!

**KasonSama**- you're welcome, I love a strong Sakura…not long until the forest of death now…

**Nee-han93-** well, here's the update :) I hope you like it~ Gaara and Kankuro are just cool like that.

**Furuba-suzume**- here ya go, I wonder if her team will clue in now?

**Chibified-chan**- there's a little interaction for you, tell me what you think~

**Glow593-** aww, thank you :) here's a little of that interaction for you, hope you like it!

**TabKinesis-** I didn't make you wait too long did I? How was that! Less than 24 hours!

**Shadow Wolf**- thank YOU for reviewing.

**Cherryvampiress**- it is, I love Gaasaku- I'm thinking of doing a one-shot about them when I get time~ yeah, the anime went downhill pretty fast….just the way they treated Sakura bugged me into not watching certain episodes…

**Oh My Kira-** AWWW~ thank you :) that means a lot to me!

**Tantalizing Kunoichi-** UPDATE IS HERE! Asdfghjkljfh weukfha!

**Hellcat-Sakura**- thank you so much, it's nice to hear that! I'm glad you like it so much, I try my best…

**Light blossom and dark warrior**- oh yes, yes she is~ they're the only ones experienced enough to notice her yet…poor little Sakura, what if Ibiki suddenly decides he wants to train her? O.0 I don't think Kakashi would take it well…

**91RedRoses-** mmhmm, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Is it not?

**RedToast-** I'll try, I just don't want to spoil other people's lines too much…yet. I'll be sure to do that!

**Kalafina94-** oops, hehe…FIXED! Well, I didn't want you sitting there for too long, so I got started the second I read this… dawwww, I would have loved to write her character… but then, this wouldn't be Fanfiction, would it~

**Lalamnmgirl**- thank you :) I hope this one didn't disappoint!

**TDI-Ryro-Eclares**- aww, you know I can't tell you that, it would be cheating!

**Rena Katsueki-** thanks, it's nice to hear things like this, it makes my day and brings a smile to my face- more like a grin actually…

**Ketsueki no Kuki-** aww, you know you love me~ how about this then, less than 24 hours to update! That fast enough?

**UniCryin**- he is, his eyebrows were singed off by his sheer awesomeness- they just couldn't take it D:

**W****ell, time to get on with the show!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own ****N****aruto!**

****UPDATED: 3/09/13 ****

* * *

><p>"<em>Well well, if it isn't pinkie. You look a little lost, wanna tag along with us? Can't have a potential opponent disqualified for not showing up in time." He said, tilting his head and looking to the blond. "3rd floor right?" <em>

_With wide eyes, Sakura looked at the trio, their postures relaxing as she took another step back and forced her hand away from her pouch. Catching the red head__'__s eye again, she could see the spark of recognition within them as he subtly looked to her hair._

"_Come" was all he said as he slowly made his way past, his two teammates bickering between themselves and forcing her along by walking a few steps behind her, not even giving her a chance to speak._

_What had she gotten herself into?_

**Sakura's ****P.O.V.**

Silently walking through the corridor with the foreign trio, Sakura couldn't stop fidgeting with the front of her dress, desperately trying to take her mind off the creeping silence.

She didn't like silence, not after that eventful trip to wave…

The two walking behind her had quickly stopped bickering after a sharp look from the red head, Gaara, before moving closer and walking on either side of her. Honestly, she was curious as to why they would help her, not that she needed it though, she grew up here mind you.

But they were being…kind, so why not tag along? And she was going to the same place anyway…

Gaara had her curious, his aura alone enough to drag back thoughts of the demon of the mist, they were just so similar. But as similar as they seemed aura wise, Gaara was different. The way he held himself, his quietness, his silent confidence…

He was dangerous; he wasn't someone she should mess around with.

Jerking sharply as a hand came down on her shoulder, Sakura snapped her head to the black wearing boy beside her, looking at him sharply and shrugging the offending appendage off.

It didn't matter how nice they seemed, they were future opponents.

They would kill her without a second thought.

And she had to be prepared for it.

"Hey there pinkie, geez, calm down." He said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "No need to get so worked up. I just wanted to introduce myself, seeing as your idiot of a teammate didn't let me last time." With that said, he lowered his hands again, subtly adjusting the package on his back and smirking down at her.

"Sabaku no Kankuro at your service, and you are….?"

"Haruno Sakura, nice to meet you" she inclined, nodding to him with a straight face. She didn't trust this guy; he seemed….almost too friendly. Silence covered them again as they turned another corner, the light wood of the walls glaring at the pinkette as she did her best to look everywhere but the trio.

'_I wonder what Naruto and Sasuke are doing?...'_

**Random ****P.O.V.**

"WELL I'M SORRY I DIDN'T NOTICE HIS GREATNESS! I WAS TOO BUSY **WATCHING HIM CRAWL OUT FROM UNDER A TURTLE**!"

"GUY-SENSEI **DID NOT** CRAWL OUT FROM UNDER A TURTLE!"

**Sakura's ****P.O.V.**

Hearing a faint voice travel up from the stairwell, she frowned slightly, a weight falling to her shoulders as her irritation flared slightly.

'_Forget it, I don't want to know. They're not dragging me into their mess this time.'_ Slowly she came to a stop, only just noticing they had made it to room 301. Looking at the door, she bit her lip and swallowed before turning to the trio as they made their way closer to the door.

"I should wait out here for my teammates. Thank you for helping me out back there…"

"Think nothing of it Sakura-san; I'll be looking forward to fighting with you in the future."

'_What?...'_

"Excuse me?..." she managed, a faint feeling of dread building in her chest.

"You saw through my trick the other day Sakura-san, the other genin have yet to do that. With that being said, it's only right that I get the chance to fight you." At the look on her face, his smirk grew, a small grin forming as the blond shook her head in exasperation. "Hey, just look at it this way; at least if you die it'll be noteworthy and not at the hands of some random weakling."

Letting out a strangled sound, Sakura gaped at him in shock before clenching her fists at her sides, her nails digging into the sensitive bruises covering them.

What _**had**_ she gotten herself into?

"Still," she said, a dark look coming to her face at the condescending gaze the blond cast her, almost as if it was funny her teammate wanted to fight the _weakling_…. "Thank you for your help."

'_I'm not weak.'_ She thought furiously, her teeth clenching in anger as the blond chuckled.

"I wish to battle Uchiha Sasuke," a sudden deep voice came, all eyes turning to the red head as he addressed the pinkette, barely turning from his position facing the closed door. "Do not get him disqualified because of your actions." With that said he continued on into the room, Sakura only just catching a glimpse of his cold eyes as he looked at her before continuing onward into the crowded room, his siblings following close behind. Kankuro cast one last look in her direction as he went, his posture screaming confidence and power, the ability to hold his own.

Only one thought crossed her mind as the door slid shut, leaving her alone in the hallway, looking at the floor with a dark look.

She was screwed.

'_Fuck.'_

**Madara's ****P.O.V.**

"SIR!" a male voice called from behind him. Madara having previously been observing the last of the genin scurry into the academy for the exams turned around, looking at the brown haired man in front of him with hidden annoyance. His dark cloak and orange mask usually made people avoid him, not wanting to associate with someone like…well, him.

It seemed it didn't work for everyone…

The brown haired man was familiar, his long hair pulled into a high pony tail with his leaf headband covering his forehead. As he got closer, Madara realised exactly why he recognized him.

He was the one testing Sakura the other day, making sure she was prepared for the exams. Umino Iruka.

Iruka, he was the one who saw the Cherry and him together.

'_This should prove to be interesting__.__'_ Madara thought, watching in mild annoyance from behind his mask as the brunette came to a stop, the empty courtyard suddenly seeming silent around them.

"Hello there, I'm sorry for bothering you but something has come to my attention." The man in front of him stated, standing straight in what was meant to be an intimidating pose. "I saw you with one of my old students the other day, Haruno Sakura, and decided to look into things, just to make sure she was safe."

"Ahh! You're the mean man that picked on Cherry-chan the other day~ that wasn't very nice you know…" Madara trailed off, his taunting tone obviously not lost on the brunette. "So, what was it that came to your attention? A village bake sale perhaps? Sorry, Tobi's not interested. "

"No, I mean there is no documentation showing you entering the village. I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to come with me." The tension in the air was stifling, making Iruka tense as Madara let out a soft chuckle, a taunting smirk forming behind his mask as his long hair moved slightly in the breeze.

"I'm afraid," he started "that I can't do that. You see, I've invested a lot of time into the little blossom and it would be such a shame to let it go to waste…" trailing off as Iruka drew a kunai, Madara tilted his head to the side, gaze narrowing slightly.

"That wasn't actually a request. You are to come with me for questioning." Stepping forward with conviction, Iruka came to an abrupt standstill as his body froze in place, a dark chuckle coming from behind him as the masked man shimmered out of existence.

"Stupid little boy, don't waste my time with your nonsense." The killing intent directed at the brunette almost had the poor man passing out; Madara could see the oppressive feeling make him shake with fear. "You should know better than to pick fights outside of your power range. Are you really a teacher?"

Pathetic.

"W-who do you work for, what are you planning?"

"It's not who _I'm_ working for boy, it's who's working for ME. Get your questions straight, and I'm sorry but I don't feel obliged to divulge my plans to a weakling like you." Madara mocked, looking into the brunette's eyes, his own visible one spinning in sadistic anticipation. Madara could practically see the man's thoughts crossing his mind.

'_**What has Sakura gotten herself into?'**_

'_**W**__**hat's going to happen to me?'**_

With a dark chuckle, he felt the chakra in his eyes flair, the man in front of him falling over in a comatose state.

"You have no idea…"

'_What to do with him…' _Madara thought before gazing to the 3rd floor windows, a quick hand sign and the both of them where gone from sight.

'_Too bad I can't kill you; I can't afford to draw the attention just yet.'_

**Sakura's ****P.O.V.**

Seeing the boys walking towards her with grins on their faces (a smirk in Sasuke's case) had her own dark look falling slightly, curiosity as to why they weren't at each other's throats nagging in the back of her mind.

'_What had they been up to?'_ She wondered slightly, opening her mouth and voicing just that as she walked over to meet them half way.

"Where have you two been? I've been standing here for the past twenty minutes." With an exasperated look she took a step closer only to be cut off by a large cloud of smoke.

"Yo" their sensei's voice called, looking at the two boys in front on him for a second before taking note of her absence. "…I was worried that she might not show up. Okay boys, here's the deal-"

"Ahem" she coughed discreetly, raising an eyebrow as Kakashi slowly turned to look at her in shock. Her dark look returned as he breathed out in relief, reaching back and patting her on the head.

So he didn't think she'd show up? That she was too scared to make it here?

Well she was the first one at the room, so suck on THAT sensei. Walking around him and standing next to the boys, she took notice of the scrapes and bruises covering both. What had they been doing while she was away? Had they no sense of self-preservation.

"I'm glad you came Sakura, for your sake and the others." He said with relief in his voice and a smile in his eyes.

'_Stop babying me'_ she thought furiously, clenching her fists and looking back at him unwaveringly.

"Huh?" Naruto voiced, looking between them in confusion and taking a step away from her when he saw the look on her face. "Now you can all formally register for the chuunin exams." Kakashi explained, slouching in place and tapping one of his feet to the ground while looking between them all with a serious look in his eye. "You see, only groups of three can apply for and take the exam. That's the way it's always been."

'_Stop doubting me'_ she knew he was.

"So, if Sakura hadn't shown up-" Sasuke started, looking at their sensei blankly.

"End of the line. I wouldn't have been able to let you past."

'_Shut up.'_ She didn't want to hear it, not at a time like this…

"I didn't want you pressuring her but at the same time I didn't want her to feel obliged-"

"Stop it!" Sakura seethed, her eyes clenched shut and her nails digging into her palms. "Just SHUT UP!" with a silent snarl she shoved past her stunned sensei and teammates, opening the doors just a crack and slipped through without a backwards glance.

That was it, she'd had it.

The second his words hit home her insecurity's and doubts flared to life. The anger and resentment she felt towards them grew, her want to stand beside them demolished for the time being.

No, she didn't want to stand beside teammates that thought her weak and in need of protection. She couldn't deal with this at the moment, they were meant to be concentrating on the exam.

Watching the floor and walking to the furthest wall she could find, Sakura leaned up against it before taking a deep breath and trying to relax. She needed to calm down; it wouldn't do to fail something just because she couldn't control her emotions. Swallowing down the bitterness she felt, Sakura lifted her gaze and looked around the room.

So many people…. It was scary to think that her team was one of the least experienced.

Just another reason she'd have to control herself.

She didn't want to die yet.

She needed to stay calm.

Stay cautious.

Stay ready.

Watching from her place as Naruto and Sasuke entered, she fought the urge to go yell at Ino when she pounced. Old habits die hard after all. Leaning back further against the wall she watched as the familiar faces all began converging around the door; didn't they know they were just drawing attention to themselves? Frowning over at her teammates she bit her lip, contemplating what to do.

She wasn't angry at them; overall she was just angry they didn't stick up for her.

But she could let it go….one last time.

They needed to be a team for this; petty squabbles would only get them killed.

One last chance was all they were getting.

She could hear the commotion they were making from all the way in the back of the room, their voices carrying to everyone and agitating more than a few. As a white haired boy strolled up to them and began speaking, Sakura found a …small amusement in the fact they finally saw everyone sizing them up. She couldn't see what was going off from her position but decided against joining them, her hair was gathering her enough attention as it was.

"MY NAME IS NARUTO UZUMAKI! AND I'M GOING TO BEAT EVERY ONE OF YA! **BELIEVE IT**!" an all too familiar voice rang throughout the room, causing Sakura to tense up and take another calming breath.

'_He's just being Naruto…it'll be fine, there's no fighting until a proctor gets here….' _She assured herself, glaring in Naruto's direction. _'Can't__ he just take this seriously? Just this once?'_ movement was already breaking out amongst the crowd of genin, some reaching for weapons while a few looked to be heading up to deal with them personally.

'_Naruto….'_ Worry began to creep into her, it didn't matter that he made her want to go crazy, he was her teammate. She couldn't let anything happen to him without cause…

Pushing off from the wall and jogging forward, she caught the gaze of a few familiar people throughout the crowd.

Lee

Gaara

Kankuro

As she neared the front a commotion broke out, the sound of glass breaking and someone vomiting filled her ears as well as the comments from other genin.

"Did you see that?"

"Man, I hope I don't fight that guy!"

"Pfft, weakling, it didn't even hit him."

Pushing through the last line of people, she stumbled into the open, gaining her balance and frowning at the scene before her. The white haired boy was on the ground, Naruto beside him as he helped keep him steady. Three sound nin stood just off to her side, obviously the source of the attack.

"-will be chuunin when this is over, guaranteed." One of them finished, a smug smirk plastered on his face as Naruto looked ready to attack.

"Naruto, stop it." Sakura said, looking at him determinedly, trying to not care about the disbelieving and angry look he shot her, obviously intent on not listening and getting hurt. Just as he was about to act though, a large cloud of smoke broke out through the room, voice filling the silence.

"All right you baby-faced degenerates pipe, down and listen up!" the smoke cleared, giving Sakura a clear view of the large group of proctors standing in front of the black board. "It's time to begin, I'm Ibiki Morino, your proctor and from this moment… your worst enemy." Announced a scarred man at the front of the group, his eyes gazing at everyone and taking note of what was happening at the same time. "First of all, you candidates from sound, knock it off. Who told you-you could fight?!"

He demanded authority; the way he held himself just stated it.

"You want to be failed before we've even begun?!"

"Sorry, it's our first time, guess we're a little jumpy….sir." the sound nin with the long sleeves answered, his voice practically screaming fake. The look Ibiki shot him showed he could tell too, just begging him to do something to get kicked out of the exam. The entire room watched in silence as they stared each other down, Ibiki cracking a smirk when the sound nin looked away.

"I'll say this just once." Ibiki started, looking around the room once more. But Sakura tuned it out, more focused on the fact that everyone just seemed to listen to their proctor.

Morino Ibiki, she'd heard that name before from Ino's father.

He was the head of torture and interrogation.

His aura just demanded respect…and she'd felt something like that before….

* * *

><p><em>She was glad that the short hair suited her<em>_;__ she pondered as she grabbed a kunai from her holster and raised it in front of her face to inspect it__.__D__eeming it sharp enough__,__ she moved it to the left side of her throat and was just about to start trimming her hair when the kunai was roughly snatched from her hand and thrown across the room._

"_What the FUCK do you think you're doing Cherry?!" Tobi demanded as he whirled her around to face him, grabbing the kunai from her hand and throwing it into the wall._

"_Well?"_

* * *

><p>Tobi….Tobi had that kind of aura when he was upset, when he thought she was going to kill herself. He did say he was a ninja and he knew a lot about everything… but how strong was he really? To have the same kind of aura as a man like this... Tobi's was actually worse.<p>

Just how strong was he? She'd have to ask a little more into his past next time she had a chance.

The next thing she knew, she was seated away from her teammates in a daze, staring at the paper in front of her while numbly listening to Ibiki explain the rules.

It was strange, why where they stressing on cheating so much? Practically emphasizing it.

But she didn't have to worry; she could handle a written test.

Sasuke would do fine, he always did.

But Naruto….she could see him freaking out already, gripping his hair and nearly hitting his head on the desk. They needed him to get at _least_ one point, she was sure he could at least do that.

Looking to the blank piece of paper in front of her, she startled when a small piece of plaster dropped onto it.

What in the world…

Looking directly above her, Sakura felt her eyes widen and her mouth fall open in shock.

Because there was Tobi, peering down at her from a hole in the ceiling (was he really in the roofing?) and holding out an orange sign.

'**GO CHERRY-CHAN!'**

"WHAT!" Sakura exclaimed, standing from her seat and almost falling back, only for Ibiki to yell across the room.

"SILENCE. I have my reasons, so shut up and listen."

"Huh?" Sakura questioned, looking back at her proctor curiously before remembering where they were.

Looking at the roof again subtly, she found the yes, Tobi WAS still peering down at her with a tilted head and a thumbs up.

'_What the hell? Tobi?'_

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><p><strong>On the count of three everyone... <strong>**1... 2... 3...**_ALL HAIL CEILING TOBI! ALL HAIL CEILING TOBI!_

**Ceiling Tobi:** I iz in ur village, watchin ur examz. (More preferably, ur blossom~)

**Well Sakura was a bit of an emotional roller coaster in this chapter, damn…**

**I wanted to get back into Madara's character, just to remind us that no matter what he's like with Sakura, he's still a manipulative, sadistic, ruthless man who hates people getting in his way…I needed to go back to his roots I suppose…** **and anyone who actually reads these AN'S put- 'All hail ceiling Tobi' in your review…I'm curious here, hahaha.**

_**You should know the drill by now, but just for those who don't- please leave a review, I would really appreciate it~ no flames or just telling me everything you **__**think**__** is wrong with this fic.**_

_**Sakura-hime-sama**_

Hey, anyone think they could draw ceiling Tobi? Reward will be a fast update~ more than 4,000 words~ you know you want to~ or a MadaSaku/TobiSaku one-shot…

So, what's your preferred chapter length? For poor little Hime-sama's future reference~


	21. Chapter 21

Okay, I'll get it out of the way right now. I'm sorry this isn't the promised length; it's around 900 words off. I've had writers block and I just wanted to get this chapter over and done with so I could get started on something fresh. The new cover helped too- thanks for the suggestion~

And for all the Fanart! Thank you all so much- I'll post links when I have the time! Just check my profile out from time to time to see when they're up! (I love you all so much, you know that right?)

So, things start drifting off canon now, just a little- but it's a lead up to something big I suppose. Anyway, thank you to all the people who reviewed, fav'ed, or alerted this! I'm so happy right now~ only 7 reviews off of 700! Speaking of reviews, I got so many last chapter I'll have to condense things a little (sorry about this):

A big thanks to:

**Guest, Maya-chan, heart chan, Uncertain Shifter, smexyforever, TheVastEmptiness, MillaDragon, 1Deivle, iLovMyMV, LadyNorth76, Asymmetrical-Belette, Kildosad, xXTobi'sGirlriendXx, DarkAngelLida, Rena Katsueki, acetwolf94, Momo-Chan, ritaskeetermissk, ringo-nin, Genuinely-Unique, hateme101, kttykiwi, animeman, CheekyAngel94, Lylan Alainn Shade, Girlyoudontknow, Darknceannoya, animelover506, Guest, PeinVPuppy, Safuuru, no name, NobodyInParticlr, light blossom and dark warrior, Hellcat-Sakura, Twyxxy, Hana-Taisho, TabKinesis, Jabberwocky, Nameless Charity, Hime-sama's Fan, Web Spinner, KansonSama, Angrypixels, SexySelena666, Sumiku Agaishi, EternalRoses, Shadow Wolf, Roman's Child, RavenWritingDesk, Archduchess Paradox, Lovely Treason, Essence of Soup, Diehard fan, Ivette the Redwaller, Tobi-Saku Lover, Snickerdoodle, Everee Le Fae, Dreamguard Amell, PiperDreamer, LaCie, slumberdollx, asredwer, nindjo, Angel's Garden, Sylencia, sarah, Myriade, .7946, Chibified-chan, Imyself2121, Guest, Azriel Vincettia, Sakura-Hime Uchiha Loves KPOP, cherryvampiress, lalamnmgirl, 91RedRoses, Tantalizing Kunoichi, angelpanda-chan, Dsikitty2224, Eternal Cat Moon, Ketsueki no Kiki, UniCryin, ikmss18, Oh My Kira, Yuti-Chan, Lala1994, furuba-suzume, Xelexya, Chihori-chan, RedToast, Itachi's Rose, peoplehateme101, Nee-han93, Asarin159, Emzy2k11, glow593, Yin YueMing, momoXvolturi, Ana, AwesomeNess123, Yawningneko.**

**FairyGuardianRenee**- thank you for the review, I'm just chalking it up to a genjutsu being the reason they didn't notice him. You'll have to wait until next chapter to find out about Iruka.

**RainBow**- ohhhh, hahaha I hope you didn't wear a hole in the floor! Thank you for the review, its great hearing from you! And as for the musing…MUSE AWAY! Go for it!

**Eyes of Bedlam**- I'm glad I could give you your fix then, thank you very much; it's nice to hear that.

**Blue Letters**-yay for stalkers!

**Swaynoll**- thank you, that made my day :D I think that was my first flame- thanks for sticking up for me!

**Nashan-kun-** it's okay, I know your pain! All is forgiven :D

**JeanyDeiXzz**- aww, she'll be okay~

**Seo**- she may, she may not~ but yes, Tobi is a mean boy if you mess with his flower.

**Beautify**- that's not a bad idea, we'll see if it goes with where this is going.

**Pratchee**- thanks for the great Fanart!

**Ms Lilly-** thank you for the fanart too, it's great!

**Nifoi-** a jealous Madara would be interesting to write…I'll have to look into trying that sometime~

**Kalafina94**- sorry for the wait, I hope I haven't had you there for too long~ haha, sorry about getting you weird looks ^_^'

I'm sorry if you asked me a question I couldn't reply too, there were just so many reviews!.. Not like that's a bad thing!

_**ON WITH THE SHOW, I THINK I'VE KEPT YOU WAITING LONG ENOUGH!**_

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!

**UPDATED: 3/09/13 **

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><p>Biting her bottom lip and slyly brushing the small pieces of plaster into her lap, Sakura tried to keep her focus on Ibiki as he went on with the rules, desperately trying to ignore the figure peering down from the ceiling. What was he doing? Did he WANT to get caught?! Nobody but the participants were meant to be listening in…<p>

"Rule number three; the sentinels positioned around the room are there to watch you carefully for any signs of cheating." He continued, a smirk pulling at his face as he watched them, staring down some of the weaker looking Nin in the room.

She wasn't one of them.

"…and for every incident they spot, they will subtract two points from the culprit's score. Be warned, their eyes are extremely sharp and if you get caught 5 times…you'll be dismissed before the tests are even scored." He finished, looking to a few sentinels with a slight nod. Listening as a slightly familiar face called out about having his eyes on them, Sakura felt a shiver go up her spine, refusing to look upwards as she held her breath for a second to calm her nerves.

What if they thought Tobi was helping her cheat? Would they disqualify her?...

Just as that crossed her mind, a small folded piece of paper fell to her lap, her quick reflexes the only thing keeping it from dropping to the floor.

'_What in the world?...'_ slowly and quietly unfolding it after gazing around quickly to make sure no one was watching, Sakura frowned a little before nodding subtly and storing the note under the hem of her spandex shorts.

Yes she was ready; didn't her friend have any faith in her? Didn't Tobi know she would do fine?

Or was he losing faith in her like everyone else….Underestimating her even though he admitted to being impressed before at her skill with chakra manipulation.

'_Damn it'_ she silently swore, muttering quietly to herself about not getting distracted during the exam.

Glaring at the table top for a second before casting a quick look above her- she was shocked to see him gone, not a single trace of his presence even being there. Just another thing she'd have to ask him about the next time they met, along with why he was even there in the first place.

But that didn't matter now, she had to focus.

She would ace this test and show everyone up.

Written was her specialty after all.

Taking a deep breath and relaxing her expression, Sakura centred her thoughts, nothing but the test occupying her mind.

'_I can do this.'_

Seeing Sasuke glaring at Naruto from the corner of her eye, Sakura knew she missed something, something important…

What was it though?

Unable to ask what she missed while calming down and ignoring Tobi, Sakura sweat dropped slightly and sunk in her seat. Looking around at the other participants before swallowing nervously she brought her attention back to Ibiki, just as he finished announcing when the tenth question would be announced.

"You'll have one hour total." He announced before glancing at the clock on the off white wall behind them. "BEGIN" as his bellow reached her Sakura steeled her mind and flipped the paper in front of her, reading the first question rapidly before smiling to herself as she began jotting down her answer.

Codes were simple- She'd done something like this as extra work for Iruka-sensei.

'_Good luck Naruto, Sasuke.'_

As she scribbled down the appropriate answer to the question, she felt her desk mate on her left tense up, clenching his fists around the edge of the wooden desk and taking deep breathes. So she wasn't the only one nervous about this? She was actually doing better than this intimidating Nin? With her shoulders relaxing even further and her smile turning to a smirk, she moved to the next question, her confidence in herself taking a leap forward.

'_Number two, line B in the diagram indicates the trajectory of a shuriken thrown at enemy C by ninja A who is seated atop a tree seven meters tall. Describe and formulate the trajectory required if C were positioned at D, E and F.' _She silently read to herself, her lips moving as she worked out the answer on her paper, taking the time to go over it again just to make sure she was correct. _'Also explain the furthest possible range of the shuriken and explain how you arrived at your answer.'_

Integrated problems based on principles of uncertainty, requiring complex mechanical energy analysis. This was very advanced… Sasuke may be able to get a few down, but Naruto…. she just hoped he had payed attention to at least one of his classes. Closing her eyes for a second and spinning her pen slowly, she thought out the next question before looking in the blonde's direction, silently trying to communicate an answer to him.

'_There can't be more than a hand full of people in here besides me who can understand this…let alone answer them. The questions just keep getting harder and harder…' _she mused, feeling her desk mate fidget again before turning his head in her direction and looking at her paper. Sakura stiffened in her seat, quickly putting an arm over her work to block his view before scowling at him subtly. _'Asshole! Can't figure it out on his own…Wait, 2 point deductions and the fuss made over cheating… the proctor was smirking at us all while he was talking, he was…daring us too? They want us to cheat?'_ with wide eyes the pinkette looked around the room, finally noticing her fellow test mates' actions. They were all cheating…

Was she really the only rookie who knew the answers? Silently tucking the thought away she looked back to Naruto before noticing Hinata seated next to him and smiling.

He'd be fine; Hinata was smart enough to help him out. Nodding to herself she got back to work, kicking her desk mate hard under the table and smirking to herself. _'Cheat off of someone else you bastard.'_

Time seemed to be crawling by as she worked her way through the questions, not even paying attention to the teams being pulled from the room loudly after being caught. She was almost done when she felt it…

A sharp push in her head, her mind blanking out and darkening around her as she faintly heard Ino's taunting voice echo in her ears.

'Thanks Sakura~ let's put this brain of yours to use' and she knew no more.

'_What's going on? What happened?'_ she asked herself as she lifted her head from her desk with a confused frown. Something… Ino had done something, Taken over her body…

Taking a deep breath and fighting back the feeling of nausea, Sakura looked at the clock and took note that only five minutes were left until the tenth question was asked. What had Ino done? It shouldn't have taken that long to memorize her work…

Sighing confusedly, Sakura turned her attention back to her work, only to freeze as she eyes lay on her paper.

_**Forehead Girl!**_

_**Pink Haired Freak!**_

_**You're not supposed to be here!**_

_**Weak!**_

_**Useless!**_

_**Sasuke-kun is MINE!**_

_**GO HOME!**_

It was ruined. Her work, it was scribbled on and trashed. Why would Ino do this to her? Didn't she have any decency? Her answers were gone, covered in insulting scribbles and words, the questions blacked out so she couldn't read them again… only the first one left so she could pass.

So Sasuke could pass…

With tears pricking her jade eyes and a stabbing feeling taking root in her chest, Sakura bit her lip and whipped them away, but not fast enough to stop a few from staining her already ruined work.

Then there was a chuckle from beside her.

Her desk mate. He was laughing at her.

Then she snapped.

Kicking him again and clenching her eyes closed, Sakura pulled the folded piece of paper from her waist band and unfolded it, tearing it into five pieces and re-folding them again.

Turning her red stained eyes to the smirking blond seated a few rows behind her; she clenched her teeth together and snatched one of the little squares of paper before looking around to see if anyone was watching her movements.

No one was looking near her….but; one of the sentinels had an eye on Ino…

With hurt eyes and a furious scowl, Sakura angled her hand correctly before flicking the paper behind her, watching as it bounced off of Choji's forehead protector and into the centre of Ino's test.

Followed by the scribbling of one of the sentinels as he watched it hit the desk.

_One._

Enough was enough.

Another flick of her wrist and another scribble from the sentinel.

Two.

Ino looked in her direction with disbelieving eyes, quickly brushing the paper off her Test and to the floor.

Only for it to be replaced by another.

Three.

The blond was snarling at her, her blue eyes furious as she glanced at the smirking sentinel, his taped nose and spikey hair tilted in her direction as he watched another piece of paper seemingly appear on her desk from the direction of her teammate.

Four.

The pinkette rolled the last piece of paper between her fingers in contemplation before looking at her test once more.

_**WEAK!**_

_**USELESS!**_

_Five._

"Number 57, Failed. Numbers 63 and 52, failed." Called the sentinel, his eyes taunting as he glanced at the unbelieving blond, her hair standing on end as she screeched in fury. Seeing her once friend being led from the room reluctantly, Sakura didn't know what to feel.

Had she really just done that to a fellow Konoha Nin, to her once friend?

Looking back to her paper and trying her best to ignore the words written on it, the pinkette did her best to erase as much as she could, only to fail and have to sit patiently instead.

'_I'm not sorry.'_ She told herself, steeling her resolve as the last of the blond's yells died away. _'I'm NOT sorry. She deserved it…' _became the recurring thought as the remaining minutes passed, Sakura still gazing intently on her graffiti covered paper.

"Alright, listen up! Here's the tenth and final question." Ibiki called, a smirk gracing his face as all eyes turned to him. The pinkette gripped her pen tightly, almost breaking it in two as she focused on the intimidating man up front. "But before I give you the question…there are some more rules you need to be aware of." He was interrupted by the return of Kankuro- who threw her a smirk as he made his way back to his seat. "As I was saying; these rules are unique to question ten," he announced, pacing around so he could get a good view of all the participants. "Listen carefully and try not to let them frighten you."

All she could do was fidget in her seat as his eyes swept past her, his gaze both knowing and taunting.

'_This is it.'_

"Very well then, each of you is free to choose not to take the final question, It's your decision." Listening to him explain the rest of the rules, she couldn't help the shiver that went up her spine.

Everything was riding on this.

Looking up to Naruto's shaking form she found she couldn't blame him.

This moment was monumental for them.

If one of them answered this incorrectly…

She watched as the man sitting next to Naruto raised his hand, followed by a few more groups, each looking to the floor as they walked out.

'_Naruto….'_ He had started to lift his hand, shaking all the while. She couldn't find it in herself to be mad though, he wanted to be Hokage someday and that would be ruined if he failed.

**BANG**

"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME, I DON'T QUIT AND I DON'T RUN! YOU CAN ACT TOUGH ALL YOU WANT, YOU GUYS AREN'T GOING TO SCARE ME OFF! I DON'T CARE IF I DO GET STUCK AS A GENNIN FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE,** I'LL STILL BE HOKAGE SOME DAY!**" he shouted before sitting back down again, arms crossed with a pleased grin on his face.

…couldn't he have just…not raised his hand? Slumping back into her seat and wincing slightly as her head pounded, Sakura smiled slightly in his direction.

'_At least I get to have a chance at passing.'_ She thought, already running over the possibilities as to what the question could be.

"If for any reason you want to quit, now's your last chance." Ibiki announced, watching as none so much as moved, all looking towards him with determined faces. "Well then, for those of you remaining there's only one thing left to do. And that's for me to tell you, that you've all passed the first exam!" he announced with an amused smirk.

What…the…

She tuned out as he continued explaining, removing his headband and showing them all the scars hidden underneath, proudly explaining his purpose for the tenth question and the other nine.

"Cheat, in order to survive, and that's why those who weren't good enough at it were weeded out." He continued on, Sakura only catching some as she realised Naruto had no clue what had been going on. Tuning back in she listened to his speech "to steal a document from an enemy strong hold. You have no idea how many ninja the enemy has or how heavily armed they are. Further more you have reason to believe the enemy expects you, that you might very well be walking blindly into a trap. Now, do you have the option on taking a pass on this insane mission? Of saying my comrades and I would rather live to fight another day? Can you choose to avoid danger? No."

She listened intently as he continued, his words striking somewhere deep inside her, her gaze hardening as she set her jaw.

This is what she signed up for all those years ago; this is what her life would become.

"There will be many missions that seem almost suicidal if you think about it, but you do not think about it! You think only of the goal and achieving it through courage and discipline. These are the qualities required in a chuunin squad leader."

She needed to be strong; she needed to keep her determination and courage.

"Those who choose the safer of two paths, those whose determination falters in the face of adversity, those who would put their comrade's lives in jeopardy by worrying about their own, and those who would save their own necks at the price of honour- will never be able to call themselves Chuunin. At least as long as I'm here. " Sakura could only watch, mouth open slightly as he re-tied his headband, watching them all again.

"- All right! We did it, that's one down! Yeah! Yeah!" Naruto stood cheering; ignoring the looks he was getting from everyone.

**SMASH**

The next thing Sakura knew, a large banner was taking up the front of the room, a purple haired woman standing in front of it with her fist in the air.

"Heads up boys and girls, this is no time to be celebrating! I'll be your next proctor, Anko Mitarashi! Are you ready for the second test?" she asked, her intimidating figure changing rapidly as she closed her eyes and grinned. "GOOD, LET'S GO! FOLLOW ME!"

'_What the hell?'_ Sakura thought to herself, her eye twitching as a headache began building in her skull.

"You're early. Again." She heard Ibiki comment as the silent room watched Anko blush embarrassed, but quickly snap out of it when she noticed how many of them there were.

"How many are there?" she asked confusedly to Ibiki. "Ibiki, you let all these guys pass? Your test was too easy! You must be getting soft…"

"Or it could be a stronger crop of candidates this year." He retaliated, moving out from behind her banner.

"Hmmm, sure don't look it. Trust me, by the time I'm done with them more than half will be eliminated." The pinkette frowned when she heard this, shifting in her seat and leaning forward curiously.

"Ha, this is gonna be fun~ Alright, you maggots have had it easy so far, but things are gonna be different starting first thing in the morning. I'll let your squad leaders know where you're to meet me." She continued, looking at them all like they were bugs to be squashed under her boot. "Dismissed~" wasting little time on goodbyes with her teammates, Sakura hurried home, avoiding as many crowds as she could before taking to the roofs.

Leaning back against the worn rail, Sakura closed her tired eyes and enjoyed the soft breeze tousling her short locks. The dim sunlight bathed her skin as she stayed there for hours, just enjoying the solitude while she cleared her head. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but she felt…betrayed by Ino. They weren't friends anymore that was for sure, but she could have had some decency.

The blond had pushed her too far though, she had been stressed enough as it was.

She wasn't useless.

She wasn't weak.

**-Later that night-**

**Ibiki's ****P.O.V.**

Pacing past the desks and collecting the tests, Ibiki couldn't stop his chuckle as he thought back to the young Uzumaki's paper.

Completely blank.

It amused him greatly to see him talk big, having known from the beginning that the blond had no clue as to what was going on. Reaching for another paper, his hand stilled inches away from it before curiously picking it up and bringing it closer for inspection.

_**Forehead Girl!**_

_**Pink Haired Freak!**_

_**You're not supposed to be here!**_

_**Weak!**_

_**Useless!**_

_**Sasuke-kun is MINE!**_

_**GO HOME!**_

Tear stains were evident in some places, small rips in others where someone desperately tried to get rid of the offensive drawings littering the blank spaces.

All in all, the paper was completely ruined.

Curiously looking up to the top corner of the paper, Ibiki visualised the small pinkette that had been seated there earlier that day.

_Sakura Haruno_

'_I wonder…'_ he mused, collecting the rest of the papers before heading to the security room and seating himself down. Pulling up the videos of the test, he watched the scene closely, noting the exact moment she began acting out, scribbling on her work. Ibiki felt his frown grow as she smirked, tugging at her own hair lightly before collapsing forward onto her desk.

The Yamanaka had done it, Ibiki noted as his frown turned into a small scowl, watching as the blond sat up from her slumped position with a large smirk.

And the pinkette had retaliated in-kind, her subtle movements almost not picked up by the camera as she sent the papers to the blonde's desk.

"Interesting…"

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><p><strong>Bet you weren't expecting that, were you? I'm glad I got this out of the way, I feel much better now. I think I just needed to get to a certain point where I could just… go loose? I don't know, but I feel much better writing this now.<strong>

**So- I'll get straight too it then, there's a poll on my profile I would appreciate you voting in- just so I know where you stand and what you want! And another thanks to the reviewers, I read them ALL ****multiple**** times as my motivation~ I love you all, so so sooooo much!**

**Four questions this time- **

**One- Have any of you watched Angel ****B****eats? I love it! So touching.**

**Two- What would you think of a Sebastian(Black butler)/Sakura pairing, I think they're cute together~**

**Three…I need a ****suggestion ****for**** a new anime to watch...**

**Four- ****W****ould you like to see Ibiki involved with the story line? In some way or another~ **


	22. Chapter 22

The wait for this- it must have killed you all! I'm so very very sorry…. I'll have to skip the replies on this one- the reason will be at the bottom, and please feel free to tell me off in your review, this wait was unacceptable. But at least this is an update right?

Okay now, yes, this chapter is a little short-buuut, I had written a lot of it when my writer's block was winning and it seemed a little…forced? So I cut A LOT of it and re-did it all, so I hope you enjoy this because if I'd posted that **** I had before- I'd be getting hit with virtual bricks right now -_-'

A BIG THANKS TO:

**PastelCake, Darkpetal16, Awesome story, Hi Hi, Oro-shadow1, Keikawa, MsShizukaChan, Guest96, .4lyfe, SereneWriter, ThrowingVividColour, AwesomeGuest, Bloodless Hearts, Miyumei-sama, WillNotBeNamed, Guest, Guest, Maya-chan, Anonymous, VampireHuntress72095, ShadowBloodNinja, A, infernoqueen, The Imperfect Me, AnimeFanxx, evil-angel-sakura, Fang of the Pouncing Jaguar, cristina. , Good evening, SakuraHimeYoi, Random, O, Hi there, princess123897, LadyNorth76, Silent Kage, ButterflyKissed, MerchantGirl, TDI-Ryro-Eclares, Sakura4eva, Guest, Sakura022496, Genuinely-Unique, Anoni Mos, smexyforever, Angel's Garden, Anonymous, acetwolf94, NobodyInParticlr, Unknown Shadow, Uncertain Shifter,Guest, Haruka Kasumi, IA, IA, IhateNo1, Guest, Emzy2k11, furuba-suzume, PLacIDwiCkedNEss, AIG-117, FEARFLUFFLY, Nifoi, Akira158, UniCryin, Hyperwolfpup, Guest, JeanyDeiXzz, Poobear07, Hana-Taisho, Nerdasaur, no name, Miss Chocolat, light blossom and dark warrior, XxWhitexKingxX, PiperDreamer, Oh My Kira, Doggidoggi123, lalamnmgirl, Colette Hyuga, DarkAngelLida, Ketsueki no Kuki, Yo, Shadow Wolf, Hellcat-sakura, animelver14, theristia, Nee-han93, Eternal Cat Moon, The Seldom Seen Kid, glow593, Kalafina94, TabKinesis, nindjo, Guest, xXSilverSparrowXx, Meow-Mixed-Weasel, Yawningneko, 91RedRoses, Tantalizing Kunoichi, slumberdollx, AwesomeNess123, Sakura-Hime Uchiha Loves KPOP, Toreh, ringo-nin, momoXvolturi, Roman's Child, Roman's Child, Dina Sana**, **hotonikirei.**

_**I'M SUCH A HORRID PERSON! ON WITH THE SHOW!**_

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Naruto****.**

****UPDATED: 3/09/13 ****

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><p>Bounding through another thick grouping of bushes, Sakura glanced backwards into the dense forest, frantically dodging yet another kunai thrown her way as her pursuer began gaining ground.<p>

'_This just isn't my day…'_

* * *

><p>She'd woken up late.<p>

She's woken up LATE!

On a day like this!

After a monumental rush around her room, packing this and that, grabbing the note Kakashi had dropped by earlier that morning and shrugging on the nearest clothes her hands could find, Sakura finally made her way out the front door. Battling her way through the early morning markets and past the training fields lined with thick greenery, she rushed by yet another group of sparring chuunin, some of whom took the time to gaze at the frantic pinkette as she put her all into getting to her destination on time.

What a sight she had to have been… A pink stained blur against the green background of early morning Konoha.

Twists and turns were all she took while making her way to the field, she'd never been this far out before, only once with her class to gather flowers…Spotting a promising looking area, she immediately made for it, the grass bending under her feet as she lightly jogged over to the group of gathered nin. Finally arriving at the intimidating looking area and spotting the familiar orange suit of Naruto, she quietly made her way over, doing her best to keep her head down and look nonchalant, as if she'd been there all morning.

Looking down at her outfit and smoothing her short hair a little as she softly made her way up to her teammates and past three young academy students, she bit her lip and sighed slightly. A red vest type shirt and black pants…it could have been worse she supposed. _'What if I'd grabbed that lime green dress dad got for my last birthday…'_ supressing a slight shiver at the thought, she avoided eye contact with the glaring Uchiha and gave them both an apologetic look.

"Sorry guys, my alarm didn't go off this morning and I slept in…I think that test yesterday really did a number on my head." As she explained her situation to them, she could see Naruto cheer up and come around, patting her shoulder with a blush.

"Aww, it's okay Sakura-chan, we all sleep in sometimes!" he said, surprising her by keeping his tone down for once as Sasuke continued to glare.

"Ninja shouldn't _need alarms_."

And with that comment he turned and walked off, leaving the fuming blond to wave his fist in the air while the pinkette just stared.

Well…that went better than expected.

Listening to Naruto fill her in on everything she'd missed, she found that she was kinda glad to have been late.

Interviews, seriously? Wasn't this meant to be an important event?…well, looking around for a familiar orange mask had been more important than running as fast as she could just before, so who was she to judge?

She missed Tobi…

"AND THEN Sasuke-teme started telling them all this stuff about how he's better than me! I swear that teme is such a PAIN!" her blond comrade finished, bright red with embarrassment and anger as he silently shot daggers towards their silent teammate.

"So I didn't miss anything important then?" Sakura questioned, looking carefully at the teams that would be entering the forest with them, judging how much of a chance they would have.

Her team was in for a tough time, and she wasn't too keen on relying on them anyway…they'd abandoned her plenty of times before. What if she managed to pull off a new feat and they hated her for it again? What if Naruto decided that he'd finally had enough of her, or Sasuke didn't want to cooperate anymore?

Petty fighting would only get them killed in here, Sasuke and Naruto always fought though, so she'd have to do her best to keep out of their dramas. She'd thought about it long and hard last night, deciding that until they wore out their final chance, she'd do everything she could to work with them and pass this exam. But she wouldn't trust them… Tobi had told her so after all.

Ninja lie and wear masks to get what they want- It's what they were raised for, taught since age 8.

So she wouldn't trust them-

If only for her own survival.

A foreboding feeling took hold of her stomach as she caught sight of the 'training area' again, its shadow blanketing all the present nin as the sun continued climbing higher in the sky.

Today didn't feel like it would play out well for her…or maybe she was just being paranoid again.

* * *

><p>So here she was- running for her life after something big blew them all apart, the huge gust of wind having scattered them in different directions, separating her from help in a fraction of a second.<p>

They could never have it easy. First day in and they'd already been attacked twice.

Wonderful, just great.

She'd filled the forms, avoided everyone as they hid their scroll and entered the forest as a team.

All was well, they were making good time- then Naruto takes a potty break and they get attacked. THEN they group up and get attacked AGAIN.

'It's gonna be a piece of cake he says…Naruto, Sasuke…I hope you're both alright.' she thought while ducking under a low branch and quickly swinging around the trunk of the tree before popping up on the other side. Catching her opponent off guard with a well-placed uppercut, she jumped on him and held his withering form in place with a kunai in hand, holding it to his throat briefly before smacking his temple with the end of the handle.

"Thank kami; I hope they waited for me…" she muttered while watching in irritation as his form turned to mud. This was that same bastard that had attacked them earlier, he just wouldn't give up! Scanning the area constantly as she slowly made her way back to their previous location, she continued to stay on alert, even when she didn't sense him anymore. You could never be too careful, especially out here.

Coming into the small sized clearing, she immediately held her hands up in surrender as Sasuke drew a kunai and tensed.

"Take it easy, it's me- I ran into that guy from earlier and he chased me off." She assured, only to be met with the same cold stare.

"When does a ninja strike?" He demanded, his eyes already flashing with his sharingan as he gripped his kunai tighter, the worn shrubbery around them hiding their confrontation from prying eyes. Composing herself quickly and nodding, she lowered her arms before looking at him with slight suspicion as well.

"How do I know YOU'RE the real Sasuke..? You could very well be an imposter." With that statement his expression softened a little, nodding to her pouch and slowly reaching to his own, both looking worse for wear at this stage.

"You always have paper and a pencil in your pouch, write down the password and I'll do the same- if they match, we're both the real deal and I know the REAL Sakura would have no problem with this…" Sasuke's voice had a challenge spun through it, his posture tense as she slowly reached back and took out the required items, hurriedly scribbling away before throwing the pencil to him.

They'd been through a fake situation like this with Kakashi, having spent the day discussing infiltration techniques.

Folding her paper into a square and tossing it to him as he did the same, she never took her eyes of his tensed form as chakra started to pool in her fingers.

'_If it's correct, it's him. If it's not, go for the throat…'_ she concluded, watching him unravel the paper and skim over it as she quickly did the same, her shoulders relaxing further at every correct word.

_A ninja waits until the time is right, when the enemy sleeps and drops his guard, when his weapons lie forgotten in the stillness of the night. That is the moment for a ninja to strike._

This was Sasuke; even his handwriting was the same- Thank Kami for her past fangirling.

Watching Sasuke's tense form relax as well, she knew that he'd had the same train of thought.

They were the real deal.

Now….where was Naruto?

"What happened to you, you look pretty beaten up?" Sasuke's voice came as she walked closer to the bushes, eyeing the large gouge that had been carved into the forest floor. "I mean, are you fine to fight if the threat shows up?"

"I told you, that guy from earlier caught up with me, he got away though- sent a clone after me." She replied, scouting the area for any traces of Naruto as Sasuke did the same. Where was he? "I got flung pretty far off; do you think he's back further?"

His reply was interrupted by Naruto's call, his voice ringing through the area as his orange clad form stumbled up to them.

Damn it, why didn't this feel right?

* * *

><p><strong>Ibiki's P.O.V<strong>

"IT'S ALL THAT DAMN FOREHEAD GIRL'S FAULT! SENSEI, YOU CAN'T LET THIS GO!" He could hear the voice from all the way across town, and the second he did, Ibiki knew what was happening. Setting his sights to the training grounds, he made his way over with an irritated vibe blanketing his form.

'_Damn jounin, letting their students shout out potentially hazardous information on a whim.'_

Coming closer to the source of the commotion, the intimidating nin made a beeline for the group of 5 standing dead centre of training ground 7. Kakashi would never change.

"Troublesome woman, will you keep your voice down!" Came the Nara's frustrated tone, obviously having noted his entrance.

"NO I WILL NOT QUIET DOWN! THAT FOREHEAD BITCH GOT US KICKED OUT FOR NO REASON! SHE SHOULD BE KICKED OUT OF THE EXAM TOO!" The young Yamanaka continued to screech, her tone growing higher and higher with every passing word. "THAT CHEAT! I WILL NOT BE LEFT BEHIND! She thinks she's so tough now, well let's just WAIT till she flunks- she'll be giving up on Sasuke-kun and begging for my friendship again!"

'_Broadcasting that three of Konoha's clan heirs had failed the exam- when will these people learn?'_ Ibiki pondered in exasperation before letting out a sharp whistle and drawing the attention of all those present. _'She may also have a slight superiority complex…'_

Two jounin and three genin, just what he needed at beginning of the day.

"Asuma, control your genin. That type of information shouldn't be shouted for all to hear." He stated, watching both jounin tense slightly with a hidden smirk.

Never underestimate the power of gossip, especially within the ninja community. It was how fame and image were won or lost.

"Sorry about that Ibiki, Ino just lets her emotions get the best of her sometimes. _Apparently_, one of Kakashi's genin rigged the exam and got these three kicked out." The smoking nin drawled out, his cigarette hanging lazily from the corner of his mouth as he gestured to the three standing slightly to the left, avoiding eye contact as he looked them over again.

"And_ I_ just can't see _my_ cute little genin doing something like that. I mean, come on, there were proctors stationed around the room, watching their every move." Kakashi tacked on, a slightly angered tone leaking into his voice as his precious orange book stayed firmly put in his pouch.

'_Well, THIS is interesting…'_

"Well keep your drama to a respectable level and watch the content of your conversations with all these foreign nin wandering around." Ibiki finished, looking at them sternly before giving them a nod and beginning to make his way back to headquarters.

"But _DID_ one of Kakashi's genin get my team disqualified?" Asuma called as the trench coat wearing nin turned to leave once more.

"You'd have to ask the copy-nin that, they're _HIS_ team after all, he should know what they're capable of if pushed too far." And with that, he left.

Motioning Kotetsu and Izumo out from their tree as he turned the nearest corner, he raised an eyebrow at them, silently questioning their presence.

"Well, we _were_ here to speak with Kakashi…but…the conversation was a little too intense to interrupt." Kotetsu said, motioning between them and the out of sight training field, curiosity plain on his face as raised voices drifted their way once more.

"And what, may I ask, has you seeking out the copy-nin?"

"Oh, nothing much…" Izumo started before taking one look at his scarred face and going white, swallowing slightly and sighing. "Uh- we were just interested in one of his genin is all, just curious…"

"I see. I take it this genin happened to have pink hair?"

At the smirk Kotetsu shot Izumo, Ibiki knew he was right.

* * *

><p><strong>Done for now- I hope you liked this chapter and sorry about the length, I just didn't want you all to wait another week or so T_T<strong>

**Now, important news: **I'm looking for a beta or two to go over the previous chapters and help lighten my load a little! If you're interested, please send me a PM :D any help will be appreciated~!

**BUT YAY! We're up to Orochimaru's part- here is where all my planning and plots come into fruition, this is the seed that will start it all! MUAHAHAHAHAHAAA! This next chapter…will be the beginning of great things, AU and canon things- things you'll never expect! :D interested?**

**Annnnnd…QUESTION TIME! (and answer time -_-'):**

1) _Now to the reason why I didn't answer the reviews at the beginning of the chapter! I've had a few people tell me that it's a little daunting to scroll through and get to the fic, so I'm asking you all, since this fic is as much yours as it is mine, would you like me to keep replying in the fic, or in PM's? I just don't want my anon reviewers to feel left out…_

2) _**Is anyone going to supanova on the 13th and 14th? I'm going again~ I just love it there! I can't wait to do my Chii Cosplay with my friend, I'm going as the black wearing Chii and she's going as the white wearing one~**_

3) _I've had a few queries about this: and yes, I do have a Skype! And yes, I'm fine with you adding me to message or chat- no pressure~ my Skype is:_ **akatsukisgirl**

4) _**I'm curious here, what's with all the recent Sakura hate? It's doing my head in! Everywhere I look- she's useless, weak**__**,**__** and annoying! ARRRRGGG!**_

You should know the drill by now, but just for those who don't- please leave a review, I would really appreciate it~ no flames or just telling me everything you think is wrong with this fic.

Sakura-Hime-Sama

P.S- The fanart for these last few chapters….I've never been so happy! Thank you all so so so so sooooooooo MUCH!


	23. Chapter 23

_**I'm a horrid person, making you all wait this long for a chapter...but I'm now a qualified cert 3 childcare worker :)**_

_**Okay, I'm really really really sorry for the wait- things have been happening and I just got my writing mojo back-Yay, new chapter for everyone!~ enjoy!**_

_**And please thank: **_**TheVastEmptiness for Beta'ing this chapter and all the previous ones! Yay, it's actually readable now! AL PREVIOUS CHAPTERS HAVE BEEN UPDATED!**

**And my muse JeanyDeiXzz for hitting me repeatedly over the head until inspiration struck me~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**ON WITH THE SHOW!**

* * *

><p>From what she could recall of those few seconds before hand, everything had seemed so very wrong.<p>

Naruto hadn't seemed…right.

The air had been too still.

A strange feeling of, what she could only call paralysing fear, had slowly started to fill her stomach; increasing in intensity with every practiced word that came out of this person's mouth.

This was not Naruto.

He would have never been able to remember the code.

But…even if this wasn't Naruto, why was she so _terrified_? Why did she feel like running, why did she feel like she should just…leave Sasuke to deal with this himself? Shaking her head sharply to rid herself of such feelings, Sakura took a guarded stance as her raven haired teammate flew at the intruder, kunai flying from his hand as the infiltrator dodged quickly to the side. He still sounded exactly like Naruto….how long had this person been watching them, studying their every move?

"What was that?! You could've KILLED ME!" 'Naruto' screamed at Sasuke, lying on the ground as her dark haired teammate took another step forward.

'We…we shouldn't get close to this person…' it was just a feeling she had, a terrible terrible ache in her chest, warning her to keep her distance.

This person was too strong for them.

She didn't know how she knew it, but she had no doubt.

"Gotta hand it to you, you're quicker than the last one!" Sasuke declared, dropping further into his stance. "If you'd been paying closer attention, you would know that Naruto would NEVER be able to memorise all that. Not in a million years…" He trailed off, smirk slowly edging to his face.

They couldn't do this; they were just a gennin team, they weren't strong enough.

They should NOT fight this person…

…But they couldn't run either. Naruto was still around, he needed help.

"Tell me….If your teammate was really that dim witted, why did you come up with a password he'd never be able to remember?" the now feminine voice spoke, followed closely by the person dismissing the henge and showing their true form.

'Who IS this person?' Sakura thought franticly, tuning out her teammates words in favour of eyeing their new enemy, silently noting everything she could that may help them.

Favours the right side

No extra weapons visible, but could be hiding them

Gender is questionable

No teammates sensed in the area but may be on their way

Chakra is….

'What?!' a shiver made its way down the pinkette's spine as she focused on the persons chakra signature. It felt eerie, it felt dark, tainted….not natural.

"Sasuke…something's not right with this person." She finally spoke, only to be ignored as the figure drew out an earth scroll, taunting them both slightly before-

-Opening their mouth and eating it.

Taking a step back and slowly drawing a kunai, Sakura eyed the ninjas hand as it trailed slowly to the persons face, drawing her attention to the slightly…off eye.

"…and one of us will be _dead_."

And with those last words, Sakura lost herself.

She didn't feel the wind anymore

She didn't see the thick trees and bushes surrounding them

She didn't feel her teammate by her side.

All she took note of was the sudden kunai tearing into her, ripping apart her skin, digging deep into her flesh and then digging _deeper._ She was frozen in place, unable to do anything as she bled, as she was torn apart.

This…this was surely her end.

She was going to die, in a minute, in a second. It didn't matter; she was still going to die.

No more mornings with her parents, discussing her ninja life as they tried to talk her away from it.

No more dango with her mother.

No more ramen after missions.

No more laughing, no more running, no more training.

No more Tobi…Tobi.

'He's going to worry when I don't show up after the test…' was her last pain filled thought before a kunai dug deeply into her skull.

* * *

><p><strong>Thump Thump<strong>

_Tobi…_

**Thump Thump**

_What__'__s…_

**Thump Thump**

…_Going on?_

**Thump ...Thump**

_I…I should be dead…_

_But why can I still… feel my heart beating?_

_Tobi? __What__'__s going on?_

**Thump ...Thump**

_Please, I…you promised. _

_You promised me!_

**Thump**

_You promised you wouldn't let me die!_

**Thump ...Thump**

_I…...I don't wanna die._

**Thump**

_Tobi?_

**Thump**

_Please? Help me… I'm scared…._

**-Flashback-**

"Well, Tobi was going to wait a little before giving cherry this, but you did soooo well today that he changed his mind!" her orange mask wearing friend informed her as he took a seat next to her panting and sweat covered form.

"What is this Tobi; I've never seen a Genjutsu like this before! I'm not strong enough to learn something like this yet…"

"It doesn't matter if you can't master it Cherry, all that matters with genjutsu is that you understand what they do. If you know what you're dealing with when something strange happens, you won't be left defenceless~." He said as he showed her a few underlined passages. "Then, you can take it from there and learn the jutsu. Understanding a jutsu is the first step to learning it."

"But Tobi… this jutsu-"

**-End flashback-**

_-Shows you your own death!_

**Thump ...Thump**

_It's a genjutsu…_

…_this is all fake…_

* * *

><p>Blinking slightly as her eyes blurred, Sakura slowly became aware of her body. Struggling slightly, she was able to slowly move her fingers into a release seal, her pinpricked eyes still fixed on the ominous form across from her.<p>

'_Kai'_ ran through her mind as she flared her chakra, her eyes widening even more when her body still refused to move.

"Oh you poor things, you're paralysed with fear…" the womanly figure chuckled, taking a small step towards them, taunting their immobile forms as her long black hair ruffled in the slight breeze.

'Fear…I'm too afraid to move?' The pinkette slowly realized, moving her fingers slightly more as feeling came back to them. She was now aware of the tears running down her cheeks, dripping from her chin and onto her right leg. 'But…haven't I seen my death before?'

Her feet twitched slightly, followed but the feeling of her legs returning.

'_Haven't I faced off against the demon of the mist?'_

She could now feel every breath she took; she could feel her heart hammering in her chest.

'_Haven't I been stranded in absolute nothingness, crying out for help until my best friend pulled me into his arms?'_

Her arms now tingled, her kunai suddenly clutched tighter in her palm.

'_I..I'm stronger than this.'_

Her green eyes hardened and her mouth closed, pale dust covered skin slowly regained colour.

'_I am NOT WEAK'_

Suddenly pushing herself from the ground, she vaulted into the nearest tree she could find, just dodging the kunai that was aimed for her head. Instinctively cloaking her chakra as she jumped further up the tree, she gave a jump as she spotted Sasuke's form crouched before her.

Sasuke.

She'd…forgotten about him for a moment, the pinkette just remembered feeling him jump away at the same time she did.

Thank kami; she didn't want to be alone with that monster on the ground. Watching Sasuke tense and turn towards her, she gave a firm nod and crouched beside him on the wide moss covered branch, eyeing the kunai as he pulled it from his leg carefully.

That could cause problems later on, it needed to be bandaged as soon as they had a spare moment, it was too deep to leave alone without treatment.

* * *

><p>Things had just gone from worse to pure hell.<p>

That monster Orochimaru was still lurking around as well, just knowing that he'd made it into the exam in the first place sent a shiver down her spine. She had no idea if he'd come back for her team mates yet, but if his message was true, Sasuke was in danger and sound nin would be looking for them.

Sasuke wasn't in his right mind, he was…scared, he had tried to bargain with their scroll only to have it thrown back in his face. What's worse is the mark that…man…had left on his shoulder after biting him.

Naruto was knocked out and pinned to a nearby tree; hopefully he was okay at the moment.

And she was exhausted. All she wanted to do was sleep, to lie down and rest for the next few hours.

She couldn't though, because she needed to watch over her teammates.

And…she just couldn't shake the feeling that something else had happened. All she could remember though was a quick flash of a spinning red eye, and a feeling of utter safety.

She'd probably just imagined it anyway; she'd been awake for far too long as it is.

**-7 hours earlier-**

**Madara's P.O.V****.**

"YOU! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO SASUKE?!" His little Cherry had taken a turn for the better over the last few hours, overcoming a strong genjutsu, her own fear and multiple opponents. Shadow clones really, after she'd defeated the one chasing her earlier he'd stepped in and taken care of the real nin before he'd had a chance to launch a kunai at her exposed back.

But overall she was doing well.

Then this snake eyed bastard had shown up.

He'd been content to let Team 7 complete this exam on their own with no interference from him up until this point. The greedy look in the snake nin's eye was enough to inform him of his next action. Taking action the second the snake nin began to form his hand seal again, Madara fazed into existence in front of the pinkette, looking her dead in the eye with his sharingan and casting a strong genjutsu over her suddenly still form before turning and landing a solid kick to Orochimaru's extended head, sending it straight back to its body.

"Enough." Madara voiced, his sharingan shadowed by his mask. It wouldn't do to have the sannin aware of another Uchiha's existence. With a scowl, the snake sannin gazed at him hatefully; his head now back in place and a boot print evident in his drooping mask.

"What is an Akatsuki doing here, hmm?" the yellow eyed man questioned, his form tense as Madara's red and black cloak hid the little Uchiha and pinkette from view.

"My business is my own; leave now while I'm feeling generous." Madara stated indifferently, his posture uncaring yet taunting at the same time. This man before him had important things to do before he could be killed, the snake nin needed to go free to draw Sasuke from the village and nurture his hate.

"So, you must be the reason my Konoha spies have stopped reporting in, how clever. But why the interest in these children all of a sudden? Was it the Kyuubi vessel? No no, you would have stepped in sooner. The little Uchiha? You already have his older brother though…The girl? She doesn't seem like anything special…" Orochimaru pondered out loud, yellow eyes fixed to Madara's form as he looked for a reaction.

'Too bad I'm not going to give you one twit, crawl back to your hole and stay there. Oh how I look forward to killing you when you're no longer useful.' The Uchiha thought with a hidden scowl, pondering just what the man was about to 'bless' his Cherry with. Most likely something he hadn't had the chance to test yet. Orochimaru gave a short laugh as the flesh on his face peeled away more, small pieces falling to the ground and revealing the pale man underneath.

"Leave, before I decide to inform Sasori of his spy's true allegiance." Ah, there was a reaction one didn't get from the snake nin every day. His body had stiffened and his eyes were demanding, silently looking for a way to come out of this situation on top.

Not going to happen.

With another scowl, the snake nin pressed his form against the tree behind him, slowly melting into it as he continued to stare at Madara's imposing form.

The man obviously knew when to back down, his intelligence was one of the main reasons he was still alive and kicking.

Once the sannin had left the area, Madara turned around and eyed Sakura's bruised and beaten form, silently making sure no curse seals had been placed on her body. Looking into her gazed over eyes with a sigh, he knelt down and picked her up, cradling her small form against him as he made a quick shadow clone to carry her two unconscious male team members. Watching as it picked them both up by the back of their shirts; Madara quickly scoured his memory for a spot to deposit the children.

After a few seconds he gave a small smirk and began running.

He knew a good location to leave them; they would be safe there until the sound nin arrived later the next day.

He'd make sure of it.

Upon arriving at the small cave like structure made of roots, his clone dropped the two boys to the ground, eliciting a pained grown from the dark haired boy and a snore from the blond.

Crouching down he propped Sakura up in front of him, her knees folded to the side and her back to his chest. Dismissing his clone he made a release sign and quickly teleported away as the girl stretched her hands above her head and sighed.

"Gosh you two are heavy, I hope you wake up soon, it's too quiet around here." He faintly heard from his position high above them, followed by Sakura's shaky form limping out of the shaded area with wire and kunai in hand.

'She truly was going to be an asset in the future.' The thought brought a pleased smirk to his face as he shrugged off his Akatsuki cloak and sealed it away.

It wouldn't do to have Konoha on high alert just yet.

* * *

><p><strong>So, I've decided that I'm going to start replying to reviews in PMs (if able) but if pressing or important questions come up that I think may be on a few people's minds I'll reply at the beginning at the chapter :)<strong>

_Question of the day:_

Okay this has been bugging me for ages- if you could ask any anime character '_if the carpet matches the drapes_' who would it be? Personally I'd be more than willing to ask Mephisto (blue exorcist) or maybe Death the kid…*insert pervy giggle*

**You should know the drill by now, but just for those who don't- please leave a review, I would really appreciate it~ no flames or just telling me everything you think is wrong with this fic.**

**Sakura-Hime-Sama**


	24. Chapter 24

"**I DEMAND ANOTHER****!"**** The reviewers all cried.**

"**Okay okay here you go- better guys?...guys?" the confused Hime-sama questioned, only to be ignored. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**ON WITH THE SHOW! ... and thank you so very very _very_ much for all your reviews, I just can't get over how many there are!**

**(****E****xtra-long chapter since we hit 1000 reviews!)**

* * *

><p><strong>Madara's P.O.V<strong>**.**

Watching silently as the sound genin stalked around the area, obviously scouting the sight for a vantage point, Madara could only shake his head in exasperation, silently wondering if the pinkette would be able to handle them herself.

He wasn't going to step in this time.

She needed to prove that she would be useful, prove that his attention wasn't being wasted.

He had provided her with all the tools she would need to complete this exam; he'd even stepped in earlier to make sure she reached this point.

She was on her own until the end of this journey, until she stepped out of the tower victorious.

If not…well…he may have to reconsider his recently thought out plans.

He may have gotten attached to his new pawn, but his plans would always come first, his overall goal would always come first.

He would not ruin them by becoming attached to someone who couldn't protect themselves against even the weakest of opponents.

With his resolve hardened, Madara stepped back further into the shadows, silently telling himself that this was for the best.

This needed to happen.

…

The plan always comes first.

…

…Maybe he could step in if she was going to be killed…just in case she proved her usefulness later on…

**Sakura's P.O.V****.**

The sound team had finally arrived, lurking in the trees directly in front of the small cave she had made temporary base in. Naruto and Sasuke were still out cold, Sasuke sweating heavily with a high temperature and Naruto whimpering every now and then from a dream.

She had tried to wake Naruto up earlier with no luck, it seemed like Orochimaru had really done a number on him. She didn't even try to wake Sasuke, his pained and pale face enough to tell her he would be in no condition to help anyone in such a state.

So with that thought in mind, she had booby trapped the area heavily, covering any possible ambush point an enemy may go for.

And as tired as she was, she refused to rely solely on traps.

Watching the sound nins' backs as she took another silent step closer, Sakura slowly moved behind them, making her way closer and closer with every word they spoke. Slowly but surely she had made her way up behind the sole female of the team.

Genjutsu.

It was a girl's best friend in times like this.

"Pffft, some look out, she's asleep!" the woman in front of her muttered to her bandaged teammate, eyes fixed to the supposed pinkette's slumped form between her teammates.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Sakura made a hand sign before lashing her hand out and yanking the dark haired woman from her place, hand firmly over her mouth as the other hit the side of her neck sharply.

Kin was out cold before she even realized something had happened, and her teammates didn't notice a thing.

"Kin, how long until sun up?" The bandaged man voiced, looking to the side as his female teammate shrugged and looked up.

"Not long now, twenty minutes maybe." The genjutsu spoke, mimicking the woman's voice perfectly.

"Yeah, well I'm sick of waiting, can't we just get the jump on them now?" from behind them, Sakura watched as 'Dosu' and 'Kin's' teammate stretched slightly, being careful not to rustle any of the foliage around them.

"Patience Zaku, we shall act soon."

Struggling slightly, Sakura lifted the woman's feet off the ground and carried her further back, carefully avoiding branches and leaves that could give away her position. Finally far enough away, the pinkette dropped the woman to the ground and started making her way back, already feeling the wear on her reserves as she fought to maintain both genjutsu.

She hadn't eaten or slept in…well, she couldn't even remember. Oh the joys of being a ninja, she'd even heard about Jounin and Anbu going up to a week without rest on some of their missions.

Moving closer to her targets' crouched forms, Sakura took a slow breath and began her advance once more, taking step after careful step, moving closer and closer to their position as the sky began to lighten.

"Think it's time now, I've had enough of watching the Uchiha sleep. Let's just get in there and take him out." Zaku suddenly exclaimed in a rising tone, moving forward slightly as his teammate gave a sigh.

'Shit…!'

Tensing up as they began to move, Sakura didn't notice the tiny branch under her foot until it was too late.

"What…" The bandaged man asked out loud, turning his head and catching sight of Sakura just as she began moving to attack once again. "DAMN IT! ZAKU, deal with this pest!" he exclaimed as she rushed closer, flaring his chakra suddenly to dispel the Genjutsu on the area.

"ZANKUUHA!" Was all Sakura heard as she continued forward, eyes widening at the large gusts up wind suddenly flying in her direction. Vaulting to the side as quickly as she could, Sakura let out a pained yell as her leg got caught in the edge of the attack, her pant leg torn to pieces and her leg cut up badly.

Letting out another short scream as she drove back into the cover of the trees, Sakura bit her lip as hard as she could, fighting down as much of the pain as possible. 'I can't even bandage this! My supplies are in the cave!'

"Where the hell is Kin!?" Zaku demanded as he noticed the lack of her presence.

"Forget about Kin for the moment," Dosu stated, drawing a kunai as he slowly began towards the unconscious duo in the cave, intent on finishing the mission. "We'll deal with the Uchiha first, then we can worry about the brat and Kin."

'NO!' Sakura internally screamed, making another pained jump to higher ground, throwing her kunai at a nearly invisible wire just off to her elevated position once she landed.

…And a large log was currently headed to the enemy nin on the ground.

As they jumped away, Sakura drew another kunai and sprung forward into the air, digging it firmly into Zaku's leg as he let out a surprised and pained yell. Rolling to a stop as they landed hard on the forest floor, Sakura lifted herself off the ground and dove back into the surrounding forest, just dodging an enraged Zankuuha.

'You can't attack my teammates! I may not like them too much at the moment, but we need each other right now!'

"AHHHHHH! THAT LITTLE BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU, YOU WHORE! Zankuuha!" The injured man shouted, aiming for the last place he saw her.

Too bad she had already moved to the other side of the clearing.

"ZAKU! Calm down, you'll draw too much attention to us if you keep this up. Besides," he drawled out, turning around and lazily taking aim at the surprised pinkette. "She's just over there."

And with those words, a stabbing pain echoed through her head, her hands dropped their weapons as they slammed over her ears, pressing hard as she tried to stop the loud ringing.

The ringing didn't stop, and now her hands felt wet…

Something was seriously wrong, her ears ached terribly and her leg was still bleeding badly, she didn't know how much longer she'd be able to keep their attention off her teammates.

Shaken from her pained state by a hand grabbing her hair, Sakura suddenly found herself airborne, tossed carelessly into the tiny clearing. Landing with a cry, Sakura felt her side scrape against the rocky ground as she rolled to a stop, unable to lift herself fully as Zaku and Dosu walked to her.

"You're a sneaky little thing, I'll give you that. But now….now I know every move you're going to make, Genjutsu using nin are so predictable." Dosu's distorted voice echoed to her ears as she shakily began to lift her upper body from the ground using her forearms. "Don't let her out of your sight Zaku, who knows what she could have up her sleeve after that performance." Everything hurt. Her head, her arms, her sides, her legs, she was so exhausted; all she wanted to do was fall down and sleep.

But if she did, Sakura had the feeling she'd never wake up again.

Shakily lifting her head to look at the duo before her, Sakura slowly but surely got to her knees, her face bruised and swelling from the impact with the ground. With a determined scowl, she inched her way to her feet, ignoring Zaku's laughter as she stumbled slightly while straightening her back.

"You go take care of the Uchiha brat, I'll deal with pinky here." He called over his shoulder to Dosu, his body blocking her view of her teammates as the bandaged man turned and made his way over to their sleeping forms.

"No…" she muttered, ignoring the vomit that was trying to make its way up her throat. "No…No. NOOOO!"

Chakra going to her right hand on reflex, Sakura acted on instinct as the blue-green glow pushed itself from her fingertips.

Her arm was piercing straight through Zaku's chest before she even felt herself move.

Eyes widening, she slowly and robotically turned her head to the side, her eyes meeting his dark ones as they glazed over. He slid forward and further onto her arm as he slumped, his head falling onto her shoulder as her other arm stayed frozen by her side.

What…

"ZAKU!" Dosu yelled as he took a horrified step back, meeting Sakura's pinpricked eyes as she snapped out of her shock and frantically pushed the slumped body from her own, wincing as it hit the ground with a thump.

She would never forget the sickening sound his body made as she wrenched her arm from it.

Shakily lifting her hand, she stared, horrified, at the blood coating it like some kind of perverse opera glove.

"I…H-He's…"

"You…I'll KILL YOU-"

"Sakura…who did this to you…?" Sakura looked up numbly as her teammate stepped out from the cave, his form covered in black markings, a strange purple aura snaking its way around his body. He…didn't look like the Sasuke she knew.

Her teammate walked forward with purpose, looking intently at the bandaged nin backing away from him. Before she knew it, Sasuke was behind him, wrenching his arms backwards and firmly planting his foot between the nins shoulders.

"My teammates….don't touch them." With those words he pressed his foot forward, pulling the man's arms back until they were at an unnatural angle.

**Crunch**

"_AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH_!"

"Don't you ever-" He pulled back harder, twisting slightly as a smirk came to his face "_ever_ touch them."

With a shaking sigh Sakura watched as her teammate and once love brutally broke the nin's arms, then followed that by stomping firmly on his leg until it made a sharp noise and the man cried out again.

'S-Sasuke…don't…'

Taking a step towards him, her eyes suddenly blurred and her legs gave out beneath her. With a yell she landed on her uninjured knee, trying her best to keep her injured one from touching the dirt more than necessary.

As she clenched her hands into fists, Sakura was once again reminded of the blood splattering her frame. Shaking the revolting thought from her mind hastily she lifted her head and locked eyes with Sasuke as he dropped the now unconscious Dosu at his feet.

"Sakura…" He began, only to give a pained yell and clutch his head, the marks on his body receding to his neck as he clawed at it. "S-Sakura, are you alright?"

She watched numbly as he made his way over, helping her to her feet and over next to Naruto. She just….she was just so tired…

"Sakura…that man, did you…"

She didn't hear the rest of what he said.

She just continued staring forward as he quickly bandaged her leg and side, stopping the blood flow before she bled out.

'Tobi…'

She didn't even respond when he began dragging Zaku's bloody body away from the area.

Or when he fished their scroll from Dosu's pocket.

No, by that time she was out like a light, her dazed form too exhausted to keep her awake.

* * *

><p>"Now that her wounds are cleaned up she should be fine, minor scarring but that's a small price to pay." An unfamiliar voice spoke, shaking her from her dreamless sleep.<p>

"Gee thanks Kabuto, I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't shown up ahahaha…"

"You would have opened that damn scroll and gotten up disqualified- that's what would have happened."

"SASUKE-TEME!"

"Oh look at that, I think she's waking up."

Blinking her eyes open slowly and squinting against the light, Sakura slowly came too, uncomfortable and slightly achy in places.

"Sakura! You're awake!" Naruto's voice assaulted her ears, drawing her further from sleep's hold. Slowly lifting herself into a sitting position, she immediately noticed that her leg and side felt better, not a lot but still much better than they were. Naruto's grinning face suddenly filled her line of sight as he pulled her into a hug.

Only for her to push him away and lean to the side before throwing up, having noticed that her arm was covered in dry, flaking blood.

'Oh Kami, it feels so horrible!' she thought before dry heaving once more.

"Naruto, give your teammate some space, it's obvious she needs it at the moment." The unfamiliar voice came again. "There's a river running behind that rock just over to the left if you wish to clean yourself up a little." Looking up she noted that the man talking was the same one that spoke to the rest of the rookie group at the beginning of the first exam.

With a nod Sakura quickly pushed herself to her feet, ignoring Naruto's whines about pushing him away.

Did he honestly want to be covered in vomit?

* * *

><p>After washing as much of the dirt and blood off as she could, Sakura slowly made her way back to the group while looking down at her stained and ruined outfit.<p>

Ripped and torn pants that shouldn't even be considered that anymore and a top that left more bare than it covered.

"Oh, right, sorry about the clothes, I had to cut a lot away from your wounds. I'm sure you understand…"

"It's fine, thank you for helping m-us." She said while taking a seat across from the white haired man, looking briefly at the fish cooking on the fire. "I'm afraid I didn't catch your name…?"

"I'm Kabuto, I was wondering why Naruto and Sasuke here only had a two man group when I spotted them before the written exams. I have to say though, I never expected them to have such a cute little teammate." He stated, lifting a hand and scratching the back of his head as Naruto began to fume.

"HEY! DOT TALK TO SAKURA-CHAN LIKE THAT YOU-"

"Naruto, cut it out." She said with an exasperated sigh, the only evidence that the man's comment had affected her was the slight flush on her cheeks.

"B-But Sakuraaaa"

"Cut it out."

"Well, now that you're up and about, we should get a move on. Only twenty-four hours left of the exam." He explained, nodding to Sasuke as they both stood up, quickly followed by Naruto who helped her to her feet a little too roughly.

"What's going on?" she asked Sasuke as they began towards the forest again, leaving their rocky little haven behind.

"I'll explain on the way, come on." was all her dark haired teammate said, not even looking back at her slightly limping form as Naruto hurried to his side, talking quietly to Kabuto who led the way.

Looking at their backs as they made their way further into the forest, Sakura began to scowl slightly.

'They're leaving me behind…again…'

"Do you think there're still other candidates out here?" Sasuke questioned, cutting into Naruto and Kabuto's conversation.

"Ohhh yeah, just think about it, what's the most effective way of finding the other scrolls in an area as large as this, to go searching through the forest for them?" he questioned as they picked up their pace.

"Err….No?" Naruto answered.

"You'd…wait for them to come to you….Hide out near the tower and ambush the teams that show up." She added as the glasses wearing nin gave an approving nod.

"The tower at the centre of the forest is the goal, right Naruto? So on the last day of the exams that area around the tower will be crawling with teams that have their scrolls. Just remember though, you won't be the only ones that thought of this, how many others looking of heaven scrolls will be in the area?"

They continued traveling throughout the night, drawing closer and closer to the tower until it was finally in sight, dodging trap after trap the closer they got.

During the trip, Sakura never took her eyes off the three in front of her.

* * *

><p>"Hold on…" Sakura softly called as she came to a stop, the three in ahead of her turning around as she looked nervously at the surrounding area.<p>

There was that blanketing feel again, but this time….it was a little different.

"Sasuke, Naruto, I think we just got hit with a genjutsu." She softly spoke as she got closer; watching as Kabuto suspiciously looked around.

"How can you tell? I haven't noticed anything strange yet…" he pondered, looking at her as his glasses flashed in the moonlight.

She really didn't trust this man.

"I can…I don't know, feel the chakra covering us. Whoever it is just cast it on the area a few minutes ago."

She honestly didn't know how to explain it; it was difficult to word the sensation.

"Sharingan!" Sasuke muttered before looking around the area and letting out a muffled curse when he saw through the genjutsu. "She's right. Now what do we do?"

"I have an idea…" Kabuto muttered, looking at Naruto and motioning him closer as they worked out the kinks in his spontaneous plan.

As Naruto nodded and made his clones, Sasuke proceeded to use a genjutsu to turn them into the current group, injuries and all visible as they ducked into the bushes and let the clones wander around in the jutsu, luring out the attackers.

* * *

><p>It was surprisingly easy to find their would be attackers.<p>

And it was also easy enough to knock them all out now that it wasn't just her using the technique.

One ninja each while one person stayed back to cast and hold the genjutsu.

And of course she was the one voted to stay back- not that she minded this time, her injuries may have been somewhat healed by Kabuto's medical jutsu, but that didn't mean she wanted to see just how far her body would be pushed.

They finally had their heaven scroll though, that's all that matters.

Once they made their way to the tower, Kabuto's teammates had shown up (a little too conveniently if you asked Sakura), Naruto had gotten his praise for the day, and they had entered their door, coming into a large empty room.

**Kabuto's P.O.V****.**

"Your curiosity is truly insatiable Lord Orochimaru."

"As a sound village spy you see things others don't, your opinion is of interest to me…"

"Oh, it doesn't really matter does it? After all, you're the one who decides. Isn't that always the way?"

"Ahaha, you're a cagey one, aren't you Kabuto? I like that."

"There was one thing though…"

"Oh?"

"How much do we know about Sasuke-kun's teammate….the pink haired one?"

"Now I'm interested….tell me, what did my little spy find out this time?"

**Sakura's P.O.V****.**

"What's the deal?" Naruto questioned, his voice echoing in the large pale room. "There's nobody here!"

Walking to the centre of the room with Sasuke, Sakura looked around the room, eyeing the large inscription on the wall ahead of them as Naruto questioned their next move.

'_If qualities of heaven are your desire, _

_a__cquire wisdom to take your mind higher._

_If earthly qualities are what you lack, _

_t__rain your body and prepare to attack._

_When heaven and earth are opened together,_

_t__he perilous path will become righteous forever._

_This_is the secret way,_

_t__hat guides up from this place today.'_

"There's a word missing from the inscription. Sasuke, what do you think it means?" she questioned as her raven haired teammate read it over quickly as well.

"I think it's time to open the scrolls." He stated after a short period of time, quickly motioning for Naruto to take them out of his pack. With a quick nod between them, Sasuke grabbed a scroll and motioned a count down.

'Here goes nothing…'Sakura thought as Naruto and Sasuke both unsealed the edges of their scrolls.

_...3_

_...2_

_...1_

"Naruto, Sasuke, quick! Throw them to the ground!" Sakura exclaimed as she recognized the markings on the paper.

_**POOF**_

"Long time no see!" Came a calm, familiar voice.

"Iruka!" Naruto called, smile on his face as he grinned up at his old teacher. Looking at the brown haired man with a smile, Sakura watched the worry take over his bandaged form when he noticed the state of her clothes and body.

"Iruka-sensei?" she questioned as he eyed them all, obviously noting their injuries or lack of in Naruto's case.

She didn't know how he did it.

"It's obvious you've been though a lot in this test." the older man voiced, looking between the three.

"Wait, what's the deal with the surprise entrance? Why did you appear in the summoning?" Naruto questioned, obviously still happy, but curious all the same.

"At the end of the second exam, we chuunin are meant to welcome the contestants back, and well it was just good luck that I was the one given the important task of being the one to welcome you guys." He stated, walking away from the scrolls and towards them with a happy smile on his bruised face.

"Why are you all bandaged then?! Did you get in a fight?! LET ME AT 'EM I'LL SHOW THEM WHO'S BOSS!" Naruto yelled suddenly, gazing around the room for his favourite teachers assailants.

Iruka sighed, a blush coming to his tan cheeks as looked off to the side. "Um…well, you see…That's not important right now! What is, is that I get to tell you…Congratulations! You've passed the second exam!"

Freezing in place, Sakura stared at her old sensei in wonder, a smile coming to her face as his words sank in.

She passed.

SHE _passed!_

Tuning out Naruto as he sprang forward to give Iruka a hug, Sakura turned her mind inwards as she contemplated what would happen now.

A bath and a new set of clothes were at the top of her list right now.

'As well as finding Tobi and letting him know I passed another one! He'll be so proud, I can hear him already! '_Cherry-channnn, Tobi is soooo happy~'_ hehehe'

"OH YEAH, I OWE YOU ONE KABUTO! Whewwww~"

Listening to Iruka begin explaining the inscription on the wall, she absentmindedly nodded along, until he said her name.

But it's okay, she was too tired and sore to put too much thought into his words at the moment.

"-that was everything I was supposed to say to you." He finished, smiling at them all as he scratched his bandaged arm softly.

She really was curious as to how he got those…but if his blush was anything to go by, she was better off not knowing.

"Got it." Naruto exclaimed, looking curiously at Iruka when his face began to fall slightly.

'Iruka?...'

"Ahhh, one more thing. For the third exam….don't push it too far. Especially you, Naruto, I worry-"

Oh.

…At least Tobi cared, that was enough for her.

**Madara's P.O.V****.**

He had made the right decision in letting her handle this herself.

She had truly blossomed in this bleak forest, she had proven her worth, taking her first kill in the process.

What a kill it had been.

* * *

><p><strong>AAAANNNNND another chapter done.<strong>

**Guys.**

**1000**

**Reviews!**

**You all seriously rock- I was mind blown at 100…But 1000?! You spoil me, and I love it!**

**Question of the day:**

_**What's your favourite Sakura pairing that you keep a dirty little secret?**_**M****ine would have to be … Ibiki/Sakura or Kakuzu/Sakura…DON'T HIT ME!**

_Also: a little about me…DID YOU KNOW- I currently have a folder with over 200 pages of Summary's, prompts and story ideas that I have come up with sitting beside me when I type. This is for the people who PM me asking where I get my ideas. Name the pairing and fandom I and I may just have something for it XD!_

**You should know the drill by now, but just for those who don't- please leave a review, I would really appreciate it~ no flames or just telling me everything you think is wrong with this fic.**

**Sakura-Hime-Sama**


	25. Chapter 25

**So, ah, yeah….That happened.**

**I'm sorry.**

**Very very sorry.**

**Forgive me? Please? I'll never let it happen again, I swear! I've just been busy with work, work, more work, study and oh, what's this? MORE WORK!**

* * *

><p><strong>Sakura's P.O.V<strong>

A few hours of rest didn't seem like a good enough reward after trekking through that damn forest for days on end. An all-expenses paid spa trip or a vacation would have made it all worthwhile, but being told that something else was scheduled for later that day made the exhausted expression on her face grow stronger.

All she wanted to do was go home and drop down onto her nice, soft bed and stay there for the next three weeks or more.

But no.

Here she was, sitting in a crowded room with her clothes all torn up and the rusted smell of old blood still clinging to her form like a perverse perfume. Naruto had thrown her a few weird looks and Sasuke was sitting just a little further away than usual so obviously she wasn't the only one to smell it.

The red head across the room had to have caught the scent as well.

The second that she had walked in, the second that small breeze had entered the room, his eyes had fixated on her, completely ignoring her teammates. His nose had twitched, his faint pupils had dilated and he seemed almost eager to make her uncomfortable with his obvious staring.

And he WAS making her uncomfortable, there was no doubt about that.

Sakura continued fidgeting in her seat while avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room, especially her fellow leaf genin who were eyeing her torn up appearance with interest. Honestly, why was she the only one in a condition like this? Her leg and side slightly scarred up, her clothing torn enough to put more on show than she was comfortable with.

Glancing down at her clothes again, she bit her bottom lip lightly and sighed, subtly catching her teammate's attention.

"Naruto, Sasuke, I'm going to go find something to wear okay? Maybe find a bathroom to clean up in while I'm at it."

"Okay Sakura-chan, I'll come too! I-" Naruto started, only to be cut off by a sharp look from Sasuke.

It seemed that her dark haired teammate knew she needed a little alone time, a bit of quiet away from all the stares.

How _considerate_ of him.

Getting up slowly and stretching out her limbs a little, the pinkette slowly made her way out of the crowded room and into the long stone grey hallway. It was eerily quiet compared to the room she'd just left, the dull roar of quiet conversation fading away with every step she took, her mind and body relaxing with every corner she turned.

'_Finally, a little peace and quiet.'_

And just like that her mind went crazy.

The blood was back on her arm, her hand piercing Zaku's chest and emerging from the other side, the look on his face while the light faded from his eyes.

_Shocked_

_Confused_

_Hurt_

_Fearful_

She'd…done it.

She'd actually killed someone! She'd killed someone, taken his life and thrown it away. Eyes glazing over slightly, Sakura backed up against the nearest wall and sank to the floor, her mind running nonstop.

Did he have a family?

Friends?

Brothers?

Sisters?

She'd taken it all away, but she did it to save her teammates.

Sakura frowned slightly as a soft gasp left her chest, her face scrunching up in confusion as it kept happening.

'_Why…? Oh…I'm crying.'_

_It wasn't blood running down her face, it was tears._

_She was in a hall, not the forest._

_And the dark haired man kneeling before her wasn't Zaku, It was-_

"…Tobi?"

"Let's get you cleaned up Sakura, I think I have something that'll fit you."

* * *

><p><strong>Madara P.O.V<strong>

She was slowly falling apart; he could see it in her eyes. Questioning her actions; reasoning whether it was right or wrong, whether it had been worth it.

He needed to step in now, it wouldn't do to have her mind wander for too long.

Picking up her quietly sniffing form, Madara made his way into the nearest bathroom and sat her on the pale counter, quietly whispering to her as he went.

"It's alright."

"Tobi is here."

"Don't cry Cherry-chan."

Grabbing a few paper towels and running them under the water, he silently cleaned the tears and dirt from her face, giving no reaction to the dried blood that was still stuck in some places.

Tossing the dirty towels out and reaching for another, he was stopped by her small hand catching his, her sobs loudening as she suddenly tugged herself closer and hugged him, her face burying into his chest as he stood frozen in place.

'_What?'_

'_He was an Uchiha damn it, he didn't do hugs that weren't on his own terms.'_

But as she clung to him, he let out a sigh and placed his hand on her head softly, his other patting her back lightly in comfort.

'_But this is just like after her dream, so I can make an exception.'_

"It's okay Sakura, just calm down and take a deep breath." Once she had taken a few and her sobbing died down, he continued. "Tell me what's wrong, did something happen?"

"I did a terrible thing Tobi…I…I KILLED someone!" She whispered out, her eyes wide in shock as she looked pleadingly up at him. "I KILLED SOMEONE! I ran my hand through his chest, I was covered in his blood! What about his family Tobi? What will they be told? Please, please don't hate me, I'm sorry!"

Raising an eyebrow behind his mask, the Uchiha pulled back from the now frantic pinkette and lent down to her level.

"Why would I hate you for something like that Sakura? Are you forgetting that I used to be a ninja too? We kill people Cherry, that's our job. We kill, steal and manipulate to achieve our goals."

"But-But I…I still-"

"Why did you do it? Why did you kill him?" He asked, interrupting her as he stood back to full height and pulled a small scroll from his pocket.

"Why did I? He was going to kill my teammates…He was trying to kill them in their sleep…" She admitted, watching as he unsealed a shirt and rolled the scroll back up.

With a nod he handed her the old shirt, motioning to the stall behind him.

"It was him or them, think of it this way: if someone was trying to kill me in my sleep and you were there, would you let them?" He already knew the answer, but watching her eyes darken and glint angrily made him smirk to himself, reassured that his hold over her was as strong as ever.

"No. I wouldn't let them anywhere near you. No one will kill my friend, _not again_." Feeling a familiar chakra slowly come closer down the hall, Madara knew his time had run out.

"Now, go get changed before your teammates come looking for you. Don't you have another stage of the exam soon?"

As she scurried past him he heard a quiet, absentminded mutter slip from her mouth, one that made him stiffen in place as she closed the door.

"_How did you get here Tobi?"_

_Damn it._

* * *

><p><strong>Sakura's P.O.V<strong>

Tobi wasn't in the room when she came back out, but then again, her friend always did disappear and reappear at the oddest of times.

The shirt he had given her was a miracle. Sure it was baggy and too big for her, but it covered everything important and went to mid-thigh, so her torn pants didn't bother her as much either.

Washing her arms and hands in the sink with soap felt like heaven, she'd managed to get rid of the smell at last! Sure she'd probably used all their soap, but she was sure it'd be okay.

Now that red head wouldn't be staring at her every other second.

Turning off the tap and drying herself with the paper towels, she smiled slightly to the mirror and tried to ignore the puffiness of her eyes.

She'd be fine.

Tobi had told her so.

Throwing out the paper towel and opening the door, Sakura managed to jump back just in time to avoid Iruka's stumbling form.

"Um…Hello sensei, can I help you?" She asked as he smiled sheepishly at her.

"Sorry about that Sakura, I was just looking for you actually. I thought I'd let you know that the next stage is going to start in about 10 minutes, so you'd better hurry back to Naruto and Sasuke." He informed, his hand rubbing the back of his bruised head slightly.

"Oh, okay sensei, I'll see you later then!" starting past him, she was pulled to a stop by a hand on her shoulder, prompting her to look up at her old teacher.

'_Huh?'_

"Sakura..I, uh, just be careful okay? Keep an eye out, I've had a bad feeling lately, alright?"

"Alright sensei, thank you for the worry." She muttered as she made her way from him and back to the others, her smile fading as her mind began processing things again.

'_Why would Iruka-sensei be so jumpy?...Did he hear me and Tobi? Does he know what I did?'_

* * *

><p><strong>I'm back~ I've found my pattern again and I'm good to go! Are you? I am! And I threw in a little GaaSaku for all those asking.<strong>

**This chapter is un-betad because I really needed to get it out!**

**As you can probably tell, this was just a warm up to get back into the feel of things, and yeah, my style might have changed a little, I don't know.**

_**Question time!:**_

_1. Are you really mad at me?_

_2. What do you think will happen in the fights? (because huehuehue, I've fucked them all up and hint hint, Neji vs Tenten, Hinata vs Temari)_

_3. Do you wanna add me on Tumblr? We can chat about fanfiction, sakura, how sexy Madara is and you can kick my ass when I forget to update! My Tumblr name is StoneMedusa and I look forward to talking to you all!_

**You should know the drill by now, but for those who don't-please leave a review, I would really appreciate it~ no flames or just telling me everything you think is wrong with this fic.**

**Sakura-Hime-Sama**


	26. Chapter 26

**Sorry for the wait and sorry if this is a bit…****off. I'm**** not fond of fight scenes and wanted to get them over with asap so I could get back to what I love writing. MadaSaku scenes! Which are ****definitely**** going to be happening in the next few chapters, as you'll know soon enough…**

**Anyway, ON WITH THE SHOW!**

**I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Standing with Naruto as Sasuke was taken from the room by their sensei, Sakura felt the tiniest bit of worry for the Uchiha.<p>

Sure she wasn't too fond of him at the moment, but something was wrong with him. The way he'd acted during that battle was…off. He'd been vicious, TOO vicious.

And it all had to do with that strange mark he'd gotten from that pale nin in the forest of death.

She'd worry about it later though, she was still too wound up about her upcoming fight to think on the subject too much.

She needed to be ready.

She knew her turn would be soon, there were only a few participants left after all.

The past battles had been rough and harsh, the participants desperate in their attempts to secure their places in the finales.

She WOULD be one of them.

She wouldn't be left behind this time, especially after Naruto and Sasuke had already landed their places.

Sasuke had fought one of Kabuto's teammates, the pale haired glasses wearing nin having already opted out of this stage. Sasuke had won, but at the cost of showing their sensei his new….mark.

Naruto had fought against Shino; she'd almost had to turn away at some parts, just for the fact that she didn't want to watch two classmates fight against each other. Naruto had won though, his chakra reserves being too large for Shino's bugs to affect largely.

She was just glad she hadn't had to fight either of them. She'd loose, she knew that, especially after seeing them perform today.

But to fight a teammate…someone you'd trained with, who knew you and your moves just as well as you did…She'd known it was a possibility, especially after some of the other matches.

Neji Hyuuga vs Tenten for example.

That had been hard to watch.

The mutual respect they had for each other was pushed to the side as they went at it, Neji deflecting her every attack as she dodged his every offensive move. In the end, Neji's little 'Destiny' speech had proven to be true as he found a weak point and exploited it to its max, striking his teammate repeatedly in her chakra points and limbs, rendering her unable to continue.

When Sakura passed this she knew she'd have to train hard, it was more than likely that she'd have to face either Naruto or Sasuke during the next stage, furthering her point that she couldn't trust them now.

If two people who'd been on a team for that long together could do THAT to each other, then she didn't want to think about the mess her teammates would make of her.

But now wasn't the time for that, she could plan later, after she'd won her fight.

Because she would.

She'd trained too hard to be left behind now.

Gaara vs Rock Lee. That match was an eye opener if she'd ever seen one before.

The red head's utter disregard for the other boy had had her shaking softly while Naruto shouted at the pair. A few times it'd looked like Lee had a chance, but then Gaara would just get back up and continue on unhindered.

She was truly glad she hadn't been in Lee's place.

She would have died, no questions asked.

Especially with the stare the red head had directed her way throughout the ceremony and previous battles. The pinkette didn't even want to consider what was playing on his mind, especially after watching him wipe the floor with someone that talented.

Kiba's fight had been quick and painless, his sulking face after he'd easily bested Kabuto's other teammate seemed honest. Inuzukas did love to prove themselves, and that hadn't looked like a challenge for the brown haired boy and his dog.

Shaking from her thoughts as Naruto let out a cheer next to her, Sakura turned her eyes to the screen and swallowed audibly.

Haruno Sakura vs Sabaku no Kankuro

'Great, just great. Why couldn't I have fought Hinata or something? At least I've trained with her before in the academy…' She sighed softly and made her way off the balcony, walking down the stairs as she adjusted the long black shirt she was wearing.

Maybe it'd bring her luck?

"Pinky, nice to see you again, ready to lose?" The black wearing man before her stated as she came to a stop across from him. It was more intimidating down here than she'd thought, having everyone's eyes on your every move, just waiting to spot a weak point.

She wouldn't let that happen.

Standing taller and smirking back at him, she just shook her head and let out a mocking sigh. "Geez, let's just hope you have a few tricks up your sleeve then, I'd be disappointed if you couldn't back up your words…"

His answering glare told her everything she needed to know.

He did have a few tricks, and she needed to be careful with him.

Silently running over what she knew as the proctor announced the fight, she jumped as far away as she could, his actions mirroring her own as he sent kunai her way.

Too easy, it was too simple for him.

'He's a Suna nin Sakura, and what are Suna nin known for?' She questioned herself as she continued to dodge his projectiles. 'He uses chakra strings and carries around that thing on his back, so it's safe to assume he's a puppet master…Now, what are puppet masters good at?'

Ducking away and ignoring the twinge in her bare leg, Sakura dodged again as he closed the space between them, his movements never losing momentum as he continued to shadow her every move.

'This is too simple,' she thought to herself as she blocked a punch, her eyes widening as a faint noise met her ears. 'Something is…off about this.' Making for the other side of the cold stone room again, she was cut off by his fist hitting her stomach with frightening force, a breathless gasp leaving her mouth as she was thrown backwards.

Rolling to avoid the follow up the second she hit the ground, Sakura cradled the abused flesh with an arm, the other pulling a kunai and throwing it at the boy.

He was good.

Too good.

'He's...he's not using his puppet? But he IS a puppet master, I've seen him use the moves before!' She reasoned as he managed to get under her guard again, this time nailing her in the shoulder with a kunai. Gritting her teeth and ripping the blade from her flesh, the pinkette made to cut him with it while he was close, her attack missing as he jabbed at her again.

Puppet masters didn't use hand to hand unless absolutely necessary.

The preferred to stay out of the immediate fight and …

..And let their puppet do the work.

Jumping back again the second she got the chance, Sakura eyed the boy, noting every detail she could about his appearance.

He looked exactly the same as the other times she'd seen him though, she couldn't see anything out of place.

Which was extremely odd given that everyone but his brother was covered in some type of injury or another.

'This isn't right.' She pondered, trying her best to avoid his every attack, her defence, having never been the best, left her open to hits every so often. 'I need to end this soon, I won't last much longer, and I'm too beaten up from the other battles!'

It was true, her reserves weren't in the best shape, and neither was her body.

Focusing on him again, she decided to try something new, her lithe form ducking to the left and springing up behind him, her elbow making contact with his shoulder as he spun back around to face her.

"Nice try Pinky, but not good enough!" He taunted as she felt that familiar self-loathing fill her again.

Nothing.

Her hit did nothing but leave her with a sore limb.

He wasn't right, that flesh didn't feel natural and he felt too solid under her hit.

He…wasn't her opponent.

_HE_ was the tool.

'So, he IS using a puppet after all?' The pinkette did her best to keep her reaction from showing, her face wincing as he threw her to the side again, landing on the ground with a hard thud as her short hair trailed behind her skidding form. 'But his chakra is _right there_ and I don't feel a genjutsu anywhere nearby…'

That's when the tired and beaten up pinkette noticed it.

That one movement of his left his side open enough for her to see the chakra strings coming out of his back and attaching to the large bandaged object he lugged around.

He'd been in there the entire time.

God she was stupid.

How could she have not noticed it before, she'd been right there!

His taunting filled her ears as he kicked her again, her form rolling along the ground as Naruto's loud voice filled her ears, yelling at her to _get up_, yelling at Kankuro _to stop hurting his teammate!_

'Shut UP Naruto! I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP! I CAN DO THIS ON MY OWN!' she shrieked in her mind, her body feeling numb as the next thing she knew, her hand connected harshly with the large package the puppet carried.

Her hand was glowing blue with chakra again, tingling as it pushed from her fingers sharply.

A loud pain filled scream filled the air as she froze, the puppet dropping lifelessly as the bandages gave way and fell to the floor.

She didn't move as the boy knelt on the ground, clutching his hand and screaming like his life depended on it.

She didn't know what she'd done, but it had worked.

And now he wouldn't stop.

He just kept yelling and yelling, his face scrunched up as his tears ran through his face paint, his form hunched protectively around his limb.

There was no blood on her outstretched hand though.

She hadn't cut him like the other boy…

_What had she done?_

"W-what…?" She'd done that…

She'd made him act like that and she didn't even know how-

Oh…

_Oh._

Chakra scalpels.

They can cut like she'd done before.

Or they could cut under the flesh.

Severing bone, muscle, flesh of any kind and _chakra pathways_.

She'd…She'd severed his pathways…The worst pain a nin can experience, let alone a puppet master…

"Winner: Sakura Haruno."

The brown haired proctor announced as she slowly looked around at all the stunned faces staring back down at her.

She could just hear them now.

'_Sakura, HARUNO SAKURA, did that? What a fluke!'_

'_I bet he let her win.'_

'_He's just acting, I bet he didn't want to fight in the finals.'_

No.

No. She'd done it.

She'd won.

Just like she'd wanted too.

Her eyesight blurred as her body tingled again, all the strength leaving her as she dropped to her knees, her eyes locking with Kankuro's pained ones before the world went black and she lost consciousness.

…She'd won…

…She'd done it…

…All on her own…

* * *

><p>Coming to a few days later, the bandaged and healed pinkette looked around in confusion, her slightly panicked eyes settling on the pale haired man at the end of her bed.<p>

Bed? Oh, she must be in the hospital. The pale walls were blinding to her tired eyes, and the sterile smell seemed to burn her nose.

"Nice to see you awake Sakura, it's been hell on the staff to keep Naruto out while you healed up." His joyful voice filled the silent room, but her lips remained sealed.

She didn't want to talk to him.

"Look, I know you're angry with me and I understand that, but I needed to be sure you were okay before I left to train Sasuke up for the finals. I've been over this with Sasuke and Naruto already, so I'll go over it with you since you're here."

Nodding at him slightly she tried to remain impassive, but she knew she was failing.

She'd always worn her emotions on her sleeve for the world to see, she couldn't stop at the drop of a hat.

"You qualified for the Finals and have been paired up against Sabaku no Temari, who won the last match against Hinata Huuga. You've been given a month to train and better yourself before you're expected to report to the Hokage's tower for the match details. Time, place and the like."

Okay, that she could understand, but...

"Sensei...you said you were training Sasuke, right?" At his nod her confusion grew. "Then…who's training me and Naruto?"

His sheepish look told her everything she'd needed to know.

He'd forgotten about them.

Hadn't expected her to pass and actually need to have a sensei.

'That bastard!' She silently raged before he started again, his voice freezing her as she looked back again.

"Naruto was offered a place by a friend, and Iruka has offered to personally find you one himself. That man sure does have a soft spot for you kids. Anyway, I have to get going, I've had Sasuke waiting for about 5 hours now and I don't want him to run off on his own and do something stupid. Later Sakura!"

And with a 'poof' he was gone, leaving the fuming pinkette to silently mull over her week for the next hour or so before her door opened and a nurse walked in.

Closely followed by a very familiar figure.

"T-Tobi?!"

"Sakura-chan! Tobi was so worried about you after he heard what happened! But that's all okay now because you passed! And guess what?" he stated as he walked closer, the nurses giggling at his antics in the background as the orange mask wearing man bent over to whisper in her ear.

"_Tobi is going to be your sensei for the next month and we're going on a trip out of the village to train!"_

"WHAT?!"

The Nurse continues to laugh as she finished her forms, completely unaware of what she'd set in motion by allowing the black haired man to visit the healing girl.

He'd just looked so pitiful, pacing outside the nurses station, asking about the girl every time one of them went out to see her.

So she'd let him tag along to come and see her for himself.

At the insistence of Iruka-kun of course.

The academy teacher was so kind and thoughtful.

'I wonder who they know each other?' She pondered as she watched the pinkette and mask wearing man interact, the pinkettes shocked face melting into a smile as the man began to talk animately. his arms moving this way and that as he tried to emphasize things.

* * *

><p><strong>Yay, all that annoying stuff is over with and we can finally get back to progressing the fic! This is nowhere near my best chapter, but at least now we can get to the fun stuff!<strong>

**Question time!**

_1. If you could see any Akatsuki member appear in the next few chapters, who would it be?_

**Remember to come check out my Tumblr (stonemedusa) and send me ****prompts****!**

**OH! I also have a ship now.**

**No joke, I'm being shipped with my Nemesis (Who is currently out of commission)**

_**NemDusa.**_

**Seriously.**

**Fanart.**

**I've got it.**

**Anyway- You should know the drill by now, but for those who don't-please leave a review, I would really appreciate it~ no flames or just telling me everything you think is wrong with this fic.**

**Sakura-Hime-Sama**


	27. Chapter 27

**Should I put an excuse here or just wait until the end….**

**I'll just wait until the end!**

**Anyway, not the longest chapter, but it's something and I hope you like it! I had to re-read a bit of the fic to remember where I was, but hopefully I nailed it.**

**ON WITH THE SHOW!**

* * *

><p>Sakura was up and ready to go by the next day, her smile never leaving her face as she thought over everything Tobi had told her. He'd seemed so proud of her, so happy that she'd passed.<p>

And she was happy too, happy that she hadn't let him down, happy that he'd volunteered to train her after all the trouble she'd put him through.

He was a great friend, the best she'd ever had.

Her only friend actually.

The pinkette didn't know how he'd convinced Iruka to let him train her, being a foreign nin and all, but he had and she had never smiled this much before.

One month.

One month away from all the troubles that seemed to shadow her lately. One month with her best friend, traveling and learning new things. She couldn't wait. If half of what she assumed was true, Tobi was a well of untapped knowledge, just waiting for her to ask the right questions.

And Sakura had a lot of questions for him.

Where was he from?

How did he get into the Forest of Death's tower?

How did he know Iruka?

The list just went on and on, but she had to be careful with asking them, she'd have to time them right and find the perfect moment. He was her friend after all, and she was only curious. She didn't want to scare him off though, so if he really didn't want to answer, it was fine with her.

'But I would like to get to know him better now that we don't have to worry about Kakashi or anyone else.' She thought as she made her way to the gates, the slip of paper in her hand being passed to the gate guard as she walked past.

Her parents had been a little off put by her desire to leave the village, but they'd understood her need to train and get stronger, probably having heard the rumours of just how powerful her possible opponents may be.

Sakura was happy they'd accepted her little journey, because she was going with or without their permission.

She was to meet Tobi at the next small town, a two hour walk away if she kept her current pace. The short haired girl knew that he'd be jumping around, probably annoying one of the vendors about something or another, maybe even getting kicked out of a store or two.

She picked up her pace a little, her smile turning into a happy grin as she hummed softly to herself, her pack sitting lightly on her back, the green trees rolling past her as she went.

Yes, she couldn't wait.

She hadn't been this excited for training since he'd given her that scroll in Wave.

* * *

><p>She was just over halfway to the town when the first kunai was thrown at her, her instincts only just having time to kick in and make her dodge.<p>

It had only been one the first time.

She'd hurried away and kept watch frantically, having not spotted or felt any nin around the area. Three minutes down the road, it was two kunai being flung at her by the unseen force.

One clipped the edge of her ear slightly while the other flew just past her nose.

She knew better than to try and fight though. If they could remain hidden like this, she was no match for whoever it was.

No, she had to get to Tobi.

Her pink hair flew around her face as she pumped chakra to her legs, flying down the road as fast as she could, ducking and dodging every sharp object that came her way. She was a panting, sweaty mess when the first building came into view, scratches and light cuts here and there on her arms and legs, the barrage having picked up the closer she got.

Just when she thought herself safe, thought herself to be in Tobi's senses, she was yanked back by her collar, the red shirt choking her as a kunai was held firmly against her throat.

"Now Cherry-chan, you need to stop letting your guard down." She saw a flash of orange from the corner of her eye, felt the gloved hands ease their grip slightly. "Not everyone will be as nice as Tobi."

"T-Tobi…what are you-" She managed to get out, shock stilling her frantic struggling.

"Training Cherry." His hand released her collar as the knife pulled away, his form moving back as she turned around to look at him with wide eyes, her messy appearance making the man snicker slightly.

'Damn it Tobi, it isn't funny, you scared me half to death!' she inwardly raged, still gaping on the outside, her cheeks reddening with anger as her eyes started to blaze.

"Now now Cherry, don't get worked up, this is what we're out here for. The enemy nin aren't going to go easy on you just because you're a gennin, so Tobi needs to make you strong enough to survive that." He explained calmly, Sakura taking a deep breath and focusing on his logic instead of his actions. "Tobi doesn't want to see Cherry get hurt just because he didn't train her properly."

He was…right in a way.

But then again, he was almost always right.

She DID need to get stronger to beat Temari and she couldn't do that by being taught with kid gloves on. No, she needed a sensei that would show her how to fight, how to survive and win, and Tobi seemed to be fitting that role more and more.

"Tobi…"She started, looking at him firmly, her mouth in a grim line as she tried to prepare herself for the next month. "Can you promise to make me stronger? That we won't just goof around all the time?"

"Tobi promises Cherry. Wasn't his first little exercise enough to prove that?" The mask wearing man seemed to taunt her silently, she could just feel it in the air…

"Alright Tobi, I trust you."

She had the strangest feeling that she'd just signed herself up for more than she could handle, but she knew she needed this.

Six days and three brutal training session later, Sakura found herself in the middle of nowhere with nothing but the aching of her limbs and the sound of birds as company.

Just great.

And the scroll he'd thrown at her again seemed to be mocking her with its very existence.

"'_What better way to learn'_ he says. Well he and his annoying scarf can go screw themselves! Gah, I can't even channel chakra to my hands anymore, how am I supposed to learn this in two days?!" That's right, her best friend had dumped her in the middle of a forest with nothing but this stupid scroll and the cuts littering her body.

"_You need to know how to heal yourself Sakura, especially since you always seem to get injured during battles. If you can't heal yourself back into fighting condition, you're as good as dead."_

He'd gotten much more serious the further they'd gotten from Konoha, his voice deepening and his usual third person fading in and out as they talked. They'd covered a large variety of subjects while walking, from random trivia to how to best take out a nin using earth jutsu.

Tobi was….a little scary when he started his lectures. He just knew so much, his irritating and usually dumb outer appearance turning dangerous with each method he mentioned to her, her eyes widening whenever he mentioned something she'd never even considered before.

This…this was the real Tobi, she could see that now. This was the nin who'd almost been selected for a team leader position, probably a very high ranking one if his anger over it indicated anything. He'd told her that he'd been a ninja, told her that he'd quit and left.

But she'd never really considered just how strong he may have been before.

So this training was extra special then, she had to take this seriously, she needed all the help she could get.

Taking a deep calming breath and looking to the scroll again, she followed the instructions and watched the flickering green light emanate from her palms, the cut on her leg closing ever so slightly before the light flickered out again.

'I need a break so I can focus again.' She realized slowly, a yawn escaping her mouth as she leaned back against the nearest tree, her eyes falling shut before she even realized what happened.

She was just so tired.

'I wonder when Tobi will be back…'

* * *

><p><strong>-Madara's P.O.V.—<strong>

He knew she was slowly coming to realize just how dangerous he was, he'd planned it actually. It wouldn't do to have her see him do something and be scared if worst came to worst.

No, everything was being revealed on his own terms, every word that left his mouth carefully thought out and considered. Every little detail she knew was carefully selected, carefully slipped into conversation or training and fed to her in small doses.

And her training was coming along wonderfully.

He'd been particularly harsh on her the first few times they sparred, making sure to note exactly where she needed help and how he could fix it. It wouldn't do to have a tool he didn't know how to use.

When she seemed to favour one hand, he made her use the other. When she got too comfortable with close range, he switched to long. With every habit she showed him, he would change things, taking her out of her comfort zone and throwing her off.

And she was adapting.

She was learning, and at a much faster rate than he'd anticipated. He found that if he fed her the theory first, she could grasp the action or manoeuvre much quicker that she otherwise would. So with that in mind, the long haired man had taken to spouting random trivia as they walked towards the borders of fire country. She seemed to absorb every little detail he told her, being able to repeat it back to him hours later with very little prompting.

Yes, he had certainly chosen well, she'd make a fine asset when she was better trained.

Right now though, it seemed that he'd found her forte. He chakra control was off the charts and he was honestly shocked that Hatake hadn't thought to teach her medical jutsu sooner.

She was already well on her way to grasping the basics of the mystical palm technique. Sure, he was doing it in a very unorthodox way, but by telling her exactly what could happen if she messed up then ordering her to practice on herself, he'd made her really focus on the finest points.

Yes, he was watching to make sure she didn't mess up, but she was progressing so fast that he'd been forced to slow her down, putting a very mild genjutsu over her to make her sleep.

She was too low on chakra to continue safely, even if she had almost gotten it correct.

Even the genjutsu he'd used had to be carefully selected, her affinity for detecting them in the forefront of his mind as he weaved the chakra around her napping form.

Landing next to her and sliding his mask off to the side, Madara lifted one of her arms and surveyed her work, the partially healed scratches bringing a smirk to his face.

Yes, it was the perfect thing to teach her, especially when she seemed to get injured so often. She'd need this for the finals; she'd need to be able to bring herself back to health between fights, especially with the heavy hitters she'd be up against.

He'd made note of each finalist before leaving the village, surveying their fighting style and weaknesses before coming to the conclusion that yes, it was very likely that Sakura would lose to one of them.

But he could give her the tools she needed to put up a fight, subtly teach her how to avoid or disarm their style without telling her he was doing so. He could hint at how to get under their guards, teach her how to avoid their style of attack.

He could make her a threat to them.

To any of his enemies.

Yes, he'd have her prepared and ready to survive the battle and afterward invasion, he just had to keep her motivated enough.

"You're doing very well little Cherry, I'm sure you'll enjoy the next leg of our trip even more."

'It seems we're going to have a trust exercise little blossom.'

He had a meeting to go to and it looked like she'd be tagging along for the ride.

'_Just how much do you trust me?'_

* * *

><p><strong>Well then, Madara is getting a little more serious about this, so is Sakura…<strong>

**Alright, I needed to get a start on their training because the next chapter covers much more interaction between them than actual training. Sorry for the stall in updates, I've just been a little…..well, have YOU read the recent chapters?**

**That's what's been stopping me.**

**I can't function properly after how horrid they were to me.**

**I think I'll sum their training up in two more chapters, one for more interaction and one for their trip home and a bit more training.**

**So yeah…sorry for the stall, I'll try not to let it happen again…(I've been doing a lot of prompts on tumblr though and they're really fun XD)**

_QUESTION TIME!_

_Say that Sakura learns a new jutsu on top of the medical one and the training Madara is giving her, do you think it should be offensive or defensive?_

_I'm having a little trouble deciding at the moment._

**(Be sure to look me up on tumblr is you want to send me any prompts-I'll give any Sakura pairing a try! My tumblr name is '**stonemedusa**')**

**Anyway, you should know the drill by now, but for those who don't- Please leave a review, I would really appreciate it~ But no flames or just telling me everything YOU think is wrong with this fanfiction.**

**Sakura-Hime-Sama**

**(Be sure to give some of my new oneshots a read, you might find something you like!)**


	28. AN-IMPORTANT

_!LEAVING THIS UP FOR A WEEK!_

* * *

><p><em>I can't believe you people<em>.

I _really_ can't.

I'm not talking about the lovely people who review and tell me to take my time, the ones who understand or simply ask me to update soon.

No, I'm talking about those of you how think it's a good idea to leave me horrible messages and emails, those of you who think that my work and life should take the back burner for a damn _fanfiction_.

Do you wanna take a guess at how many people I've had to report because of this story? Or how many people I've had to block because of the harassment?

The answer: way too many.

Yes, I can understand liking a story and wanting more of it, I get that- I really do. Yes, I understand you want more, I know I should update soon- but calling me horrible things, harassing me and spamming me with messages is NOT the way to go about it.

I love you all, I really do, but every time I think to myself **"I really should update!"** one of you has left me something that's just destroyed my mood.

And no, I'm not blaming all of you, I'm not trying to say I'm not lazy or haven't lost motivation.

All I'm saying is this:

**_Stop_ harassing me, insulting me, or sending me aggressive/passive-aggressive messages over a damn FANFICTION.**

**Because I swear, if it picks up again I**_** WILL**_** take this damn thing down and forget about it entirely.**

**This has gone too far and I won't stand for it any longer.**

**Not cool.**

_(And yes, before you ask- this isn't abandoned.)_


	29. Chapter 29

_**Not the longest chapter, but it's something right? An update is an update, and I just wanted to do something to thank everyone that stood up for me or sent me kind words.**_

_**So thank you, I'll try to get a longer one out soon!**_

_**ONE WITH THE SHOW!**_

_**(THIS CHAPTER IS **__**UN-BETA'D**__**, JUST A WARNING!)**_

* * *

><p>Sakura woke for her nap to find herself being carried, her body snugly nestled against someone's mush larger form. Eyes racking open slightly, she prepared to lash out, but one glance up at her 'captors' masked face calmed any reaction she may have had instantly.<p>

_Tobi._

"What…what's going on?" She mumbled, yawning slightly once the words escaped her mouth. Tobi gave no reaction, his form seeming all the more…intimidating and imposing as he continued to walk at a slow pace.

There was something wrong with this picture, something she just couldn't name.

"Tobi?"

The man stilled the second the name left her mouth, his mask slowly turning to look down at her as his grip seemed to tighten suddenly, his bruising grip making her yelp out in pain as she looked up to his face.

_His mask._

_His long black hair._

And the _faintest_ hint of _red_ shadowed in the depths of his hidden face were all Sakura could notice before he spoke, his deep voice sending an unpleasant chill up her spine.

"_Sakura_…don't be so naive."

Pain, pain bled into her form from her lower abdomen, lines of fire seeming to carve themselves into her flesh with each word that left his mouth.

_And then she woke up screaming._

* * *

><p>Hand flying up to muffle the scream still lodged in her throat, the small pinkette let out a sob, her body seeming to ache and burn with every twitch her muscles gave. Biting her lip and slowly lowering both hands to her shirt, she lifted the material, green eyes widening in slight horror as the black marking on her skin seemed to…to move.<p>

To grow, and branch out the slightest bit.

With every breath she took, it seemed to shift.

With every shake of horror, it seemed to wiggle, much like a snake trying to coil up into a tighter ball.

_Tobi._

She needed _Tobi_, he'd know what to do.

Finally taking in her surroundings, Sakura found herself in a small room, the dingy bedding she was currently seated on leaving much to be desired. But as of right now, she was much too hysterical to even think on it.

Had she been taken? Kidnapped?

_Where was she?_

"T-Tobi? Tobi?!" Her slightly irritated throat seemed to burn as she spoke, the louder she called the more it hurt, a slight copper taste burning the back of her tongue.

There was complete silence for a moment, then footsteps seemed to come to life just outside the door, the sound of lightly heeled boots tapping away on the stone flooring ringing through her ears. Despite the pain it caused her, Sakura was quick to back up against the wall, her hands flying to her now empty holsters as she tried to find something- _anything_ to defend herself with.

_Her frantic efforts were not rewarded._

Eyes dropping to the door handle as it slowly pushed open, the pinkette held her breath, still too sore to even think of lashing out at whoever had taken her.

"Ah, you're awake."

It was a woman, a blue haired woman.

"W-who…" Swallowing to try and clear her throat, Sakura watched at the elegant woman seemed to float into the room, her odd dress and clothing choice confusing the girl once she noted exactly how cold the building was. "Why am I here?"

The woman just looked at her for a moment, her eyes seeming to flash softly, something in their depths niggling at the back of her mind.

"Your master, '_Tobi_'," She seemed to spit out the name despite her almost monotone voice. "Brought you here. He's currently in a meeting with my partner, and I've been tasked with watching over you until his return."

Not sure whether to believe the woman or not, Sakura just gave a wary nod, her gaze never leaving her supposed 'babysitters' form.

If all that was true, then why was the blue haired woman looking at her with such pity?

_Why, why did her gaze make Sakura feel like she was in the worst position the woman could imagine?_

* * *

><p><strong>Madara's P.O.V.<strong>

Leaning back in his chair as he distantly felt the pinkette's chakra flair to life, Madara gave a quiet chuckle, irritating the orange haired man across from him as he seemed to lose interest in the conversation entirely.

"So," Madara began again, his tone unusually serious as he softly threw a file onto the desk between them, his blazing red eyes watching intently as Pein picked it up and began to leaf through it. "This is all I've been able to find out about the seal so far. Next time I put her under, I want you and your partner there to see if you can find anything I missed. Unlikely, but that rinnegan of yours has to be good for something I suppose."

"And the girl, she agreed to this?"

"No, but has that ever stopped me before? Listen, I need her in top form, and if this thing keeps acting up, it's going to make her useless. I'm not going to have something I've put so much time into fail me because of a tiny seal we know nothing about."

"By acting up, I'm assuming you mean-"

"Yes, it's growing. I had to heal her after her last training session, and during the time I put her out…it ate my chakra. Absorbed it possible. What bothers me is that I have no idea what it's doing with it or why, and that's where you come in."

"I see."

Ringed eyes met his own red ones, and Madara made sure that his smirk told the man exactly who was in control here. Pein may have had a soft spot for children, for those being used and manipulated- but if it was for the 'peace' he craved?

"Cherry's going to be playing a large role in our assault on Konoha in the upcoming years, so for your sake, don't do anything you'll come to regret."

The orange haired man would do anything.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Again, sorry for the length and the fact that it hasn't been beta read- but a chapter is a chapter and I felt the need to do something nice for you al.<strong>_

_**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, thank you so much for all your input! Every review you've given this means the world to me right now. So thank you again. And again. And again.**_

_**You should know the drill by now, but just for those who don't- please leave a review, I would really appreciate it~ no flames or just telling me everything you thing is wrong with this fic.**_

_**Sakura-hime-sama**_

_If you're interested, I've made an Ao3 account and posted a few fics over there- all reader inserts for Supernatural and the Creepypasta fandom._

_Please feel free to go give them a read, I'd appreciate it a lot- link to my account is on my profile. _

_And yes, a lot of it is smut._


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